The national COVID-19 vaccination programme will kick off on Wednesday morning, Health Minister Nathir Obeidat said on Saturday, noting that the first shipments of Chinese-UAE Sinopharm vaccine will arrive on Saturday midnight, while Pfizer will arrive on Monday.

The minister said that the vaccination programme will follow international standards, giving priority to the most affected groups, which are the elderly with chronic conditions and those with the highest exposure such as frontline healthcare workers, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

On the sources of the vaccine, Obeidat said that the government had contracted with COVAX and Pfizer to provide the Kingdom with doses of the vaccine, pointing out that work is in progress to ensure additional quantities of the Chinese-UAE Sinopharm during the upcoming stage, Petra reported.

The government also has reached agreements with AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson to supply the Kingdom with COVID-19 vaccine, once the global and local emergency use authorisations are secured, he added.

The Jordan Food and Drug Administration has approved Pfizer and Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use, allowing their use in the Kingdom, according to Petra.

Obeidat and Secretary General of the Health Ministry for Epidemiological Affairs and the official in charge of the COVID-19 crisis, Wael Hayajneh, are scheduled to hold a press briefing on Sunday at the Prime Ministry to announce more details about the national COVID-19 vaccination programme.