Riyadh, Jan 1 (IANS): More than half a million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine have arrived in the Kingdom. The authorities are likely to announce the arrival of a second vaccine during the coming few days and preparations are underway for giving the new vaccine jabs to the people, Al-Arabiya channel reported quoting the well-informed sources.

The vaccination of the first category of beneficiaries will be completed during this week and then the second phase will begin early next week, according to the sources. It is expected that the number of beneficiaries of the vaccine will reach about 50,000 daily upon full operation of the clinics designated to provide the vaccine, the Saudi Gazette reported.

Minister of Health Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah said earlier that coronavirus vaccines are expected to reach all regions of the Kingdom within the coming three weeks. The vaccination campaign in Saudi Arabia was launched on December 17, with Minister Al-Rabiah receiving the first dose in Riyadh. A senior ministry official stated that the number of registered people to receive the vaccine may exceed one million within a couple of days and that the second dose of vaccination will be administered during a period of one week to 10 days after receiving the first dose.

It was announced that three million doses of the vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech will arrive in the Kingdom by the end of May 2021. Pfizer will deliver one million doses of the vaccine by the end of February 2021.