A factory in Lebanon has expressed its readiness to manufacture coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines, Industry Minister Imad Hoballah has revealed.
“A Lebanese factory informed me yesterday that it was ready to manufacture an anti-COVID-19 vaccine,” Hoballah told Al-Jadeed TV on Tuesday. The official did not elaborate on the remark.
It’s noteworthy that the private sector in Lebanon recently entered the race to import COVID-19 vaccines, as the country prepares to receive its first shipment of doses sometime this month.
The Health Ministry has reportedly received nearly 20 applications from the private sector, including by some officials and businessmen, to negotiate with international companies to import vaccines.
This was after the Ministry approved the private sector’s participation in the import process, with the aim of raising the collective immunity against the virus in Lebanon.
This goal, however, is being challenged by misinformation and rumor campaigns targeting vaccines, that have gained momentum in Lebanon, altering some citizens’ attitudes toward vaccination.
Rida Mousawi, an adviser to caretaker Health Minister Hamad Hasan, recently told Al-Anbaa that around 230,000 citizens, in addition to 100,000 medical workers, had applied to receive the vaccine via the Health Ministry’s dedicated online platform.
In the meantime, Lebanon is going through the first stage of the 4-stage reopening plan after its stringent lockdown yet.
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