Khaberni - Dr. Ayman Muqabalah, Director of Epidemic Management at the Ministry of Health, announced that the Ministry of Health declared the introduction of the chickenpox vaccine into the national immunization program to celebrate the Global Immunization Week and will officially start including this vaccine from the ninth of May coming.
He added in his talk to the Public Security radio that the decision was based on certain studies regarding the disease burden, health costs, and complications, noting that there were 6,000 cases in 2022, 19,000 cases in 2023, and 27,000 cases in 2024
He pointed out that the disease costs approximately 8 million and a hundred thousand annually, which constitutes 7% of the annual health expenditure in the kingdom
He mentioned that there exists in the ministry a national advisory committee for vaccines from all sectors (private sector, royal medical services, university hospitals, and ministry of health staff) who conducted this study, emphasising that the most important thing for the ministry of health is the health of the citizens in addition to the financial burden
He added that a single dose of the vaccine protects approximately 87-94% from the disease and if an infection occurs after receiving the vaccine, the disease is less severe, less contagious, less complicated, and has a shorter symptom duration
After conducting the study, the ministry decided to include the vaccine, making it the 14th vaccine in the national immunization program
He added that the vaccine will be given at the age of one year, to be administered to all children born from 1/1/2025 onwards, and will be available at all health centers affiliated with the Ministry of Health, UNRWA, university hospitals, royal medical services hospitals, and places where vaccinations are administered starting from the ninth of May coming. The Ministry of Health currently has no plans to administer the vaccine to school students
He concluded his speech to FM Security emphasizing that all vaccines available at the Ministry of Health in the national immunization program are given to all children in the kingdom for free, regardless of their nationality
