Caretake Health Minister Firass Abiad. (Credit: AFP)
BEIRUT — Caretaker Health Minister Firass Abiad announced Tuesday during a press conference that the cholera vaccine campaign will start next Saturday, will aim at distributing 600,000 doses and will last three weeks.
Abiad said that the campaign will allow the vaccination of "70 percent of the targeted population in the most vulnerable areas."
He also said that the vaccine will be distributed to citizens of all “nationalities in targeted areas." He added that the vaccination will be administered by specialized teams and recipients will not need to register on a platform, as is the case for the corona vaccine.
Since Lebanon recorded its first cholera case in almost 30 years on Oct. 5, the illness has killed 18 people, with the number of confirmed infections rising to 448 as of Monday. Currently, 93 beds are occupied in the country's hospitals to treat patients suffering from the illness, or those suspected of having contracted it.
On Saturday, Abiad stressed the need to prevent cholera "from becoming endemic" to Lebanon.