Lebanon: 600,000 doses of cholera vaccine arrives in Beirut

BEIRUT – Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health has received 600,000 doses of cholera vaccine from the International Coordination Group (ICG) managing the global supply of cholera vaccines.

A statement released by the World Health Organization (WHO) said that the vaccines were delivered to the Health Ministry’s Central Drug Warehouse and will be used in a vaccination campaign to be launched on Nov. 12.

“The campaign will target all refugees and host communities aged one year and above, aiming to reach 70 percent of the target population over the coming three weeks,” it said.

Abdinasir Abubakar, WHO Representative in Lebanon, said that the vaccines will be a key tool to boost their response as the cholera outbreak is fast spreading in the country.

“The arrival of these vaccines in the country is timely and thanks to our collective efforts with the Ministry of Public Health of Lebanon, UN agencies, and our partners on the ground,” he said.

The statement said that the WHO covers the total cost of the 600,000 doses, and the ICG provides technical guidance on the selection of target areas and training of the people responsible for the vaccine deployment.

As of Nov. 9, Lebanon registered a total of 490 confirmed cases of cholera, while the death toll from the infection reached 18.

On Oct. 6, Lebanon detected two confirmed cholera cases in the northern part of the country, representing the first cholera outbreak in Lebanon since 1993.