Algeria to offer free Covid vaccine ‘from next month’

A vaccine against coronavirus will be rolled out “free for all Algerians” starting in “a month’s time”, says a senior health official in the north African country.

Prof Kamel Sanhadji, president of the National Agency for Health Security, told a regional radio station in the eastern province of Setif that having the vaccine will not be mandatory.

It is not known which vaccine Algeria has opted for but the health official said that his country would not acquire a vaccine “unless it is approved by the World Health Organization”.

Prof Sanhadji pointed out that Algeria has “the means and capacity to acquire all vaccines including those that require lower temperature storage”.

He added that international flights from and to the country “would not resume until the vaccination had started”.

A health passport will then be required for all passengers to prove they have taken the vaccine.