Summary
As of 19 September 2021, a total of 610,257 doses of COVAX and bilateral donations delivered vaccines were administered in government-controlled areas and northeast Syria; and 119,158 doses in northwest Syria.
A total number of vaccinated people in government-controlled areas and northeast Syria is 448,399 (of which 271, 276 are fully vaccinated and 177,123 received their first dose). In northwest Syria, 119,158 people were vaccinated (of which fully vaccinated are 20,953 and those who have received their first dose are 98,205).
The Syrian Ministry of Health launched the nationwide vaccination campaign from 5 to 16 September 2021 targeting 394,031 people above 18 years old through 199 fixed facilities (hospitals and health centres) and 197 mobile teams in all governorates. Specific health facilities were selected to vaccinate an estimated number of 127,000 teachers to ensure the proper functioning of the education during the new school next year.
So far, 2% of the total population received at least one dose of the vaccine and only 1.2% completed their full vaccination schedule.
Syria expects the arrival of the third batch of 170,400 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine supported by Sweden through the COVAX facility that will be administered in GoS and northeast Syria.
The third batch of 358 000 doses of Sinovac vaccines supplied through COVAX arrived in northwest Syria Syria on 3 September 2021 and the fourth batch of 45,200 doses of AZ/AZD1222 from Sweden donation through COVAX was delivered to northwest Syria on 13 September.
Vaccination strategies
Two different vaccination strategies are applied in various parts of the country. In northwest Syria, the first batch of vaccines was used for the first dose vaccination, while in government-controlled areas and in northeast Syria (where vaccination is administered as part of the National Immunization Programme) the total quantity of available vaccines from the first batch were equally split into two parts to rollout the first and the second dose vaccination accordingly. With the second batches sent to overnment-controlled areas, northeast Syria and northwest Syria, the strategy is to use all available vaccines since new consignments are expected in the nearest future.
Priority groups
As per the National Deployment and Vaccination Plan, the vaccination priority groups include high-risk population groups such as: 1) health workers; 2) the elderly; and 3) people with comorbidities. In the last vaccination campaign, teachers and education sector personnel have been added as well as all population above 18.
Challenges
As of September 2021, vaccines supplied under COVAX ensures so far the vaccination of less than 2.2% of the population of Syria with at least one dose. In addition, bilateral donations add further 2% to the vaccination rate, still Syria being at risk of not reaching the global target of 40% by December 2021.
Due to lack of knowledge and public trust in COVID-19 vaccine coupled with limited demand creation efforts, initially there was a visible hesitancy among the target population – even among health workers - to accept a COVID-19 vaccine. With the launch of the media campaign on vaccination, with more vaccines becoming available, with community-level efforts for demand generation, with more people receiving vaccines without severe side effects, the public confidence in vaccines grew gradually.
