Bahrain's Vaccination Progress: Population Coverage And Milestones

The topic of how many people are vaccinated in Bahrain is a complex one, with a variety of factors influencing the answer. Bahrain has approved several vaccines for emergency use, including the AstraZeneca, Pfizer/BioNTech, Sinopharm, Sputnik V, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. The country has also offered vaccinations to Formula 1 personnel and attendees of the Bahrain Grand Prix, creating some controversy as it left teams and individuals with a difficult choice. Bahrain's vaccination campaign has proceeded at a faster pace than that of many other countries, and the country offers its citizens and residents a range of vaccine options. As of May 2023, Bahrain had inoculated at least 17% of its population, with the number expected to reach 300,000 soon after. However, it is challenging to determine the precise number of vaccinated adults due to a lack of data on the country's exact adult population.

Bahrain has approved five vaccines for emergency use

As of 2021, Bahrain has approved five vaccines for emergency use. These include the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the Sinopharm vaccine, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, and Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. Bahrain was the first country to approve the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for emergency use.

The country has made efforts to encourage vaccination, such as offering vaccines free of charge to citizens and residents and implementing a digital vaccine passport, the BeAware mobile application, which indicates an individual's vaccination status and the privileges associated with it.

In 2021, Bahrain also allowed vaccinated and coronavirus-recovered people to attend the Bahrain International Circuit for the Formula 1 season, with safety measures in place, such as social distancing, limited food and drink offerings, and mandatory mask-wearing.

The country has vaccinated at least 17% of its population

Bahrain has vaccinated at least 17% of its population, with 295,296 people receiving their first coronavirus vaccine dose. This is a significant milestone in the country's fight against the virus, and Bahrain is expected to vaccinate 300,000 people with the first dose soon. With a daily average of 4,500 people being vaccinated in February, the 300,000 mark is likely to be reached very soon.

The country has a population of 1,701,575 people, and the coronavirus has infected 121,778 of them, with 444 deaths recorded since the start of the pandemic. Bahrain launched its national vaccination campaign on December 17, 2020, offering citizens and residents aged 18 and above the opportunity to register for the Sinopharm vaccine. By January 31, 2021, 171,568 people had received their first dose, and in February of that year, 122,384 people were vaccinated, with a daily average of around 4,500.

Bahrain currently offers its citizens and residents a choice of five vaccines: Sinopharm, Pfizer/BioNTech, Oxford-AstraZeneca, Sputnik V, and Johnson & Johnson. The country was the second in the world to approve the German Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and was also one of the first to approve the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for emergency use.

Bahrain was the second country to approve the German Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine

The vaccine was developed by German company BioNTech, which has signed deals to supply 570 million doses worldwide in 2021, with options to deliver 600 million more. It hopes to supply at least 1.3 billion in 2021. The vaccine requires two doses, which must be given three weeks apart.

The approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was an important layer in Bahrain's national COVID-19 response, which prioritised protecting the health of all citizens and residents during the pandemic. The country's National Health Regulatory Authority CEO, Dr Mariam Al Jalahman, said that the vaccine would "add a further important layer to the kingdom's national COVID-19 response".

Bahrain has a population of 1.6 million people and, as of February 2024, has vaccinated 17% of its population. This equates to 295,296 people who have received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine. The country has a daily average of around 4,500 people taking a dose of the vaccine.

In November 2020, Bahrain granted emergency approval for the use of the Sinopharm vaccine on frontline workers. The country has also approved the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca, Sputnik V, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

The Bahraini government offered to vaccinate F1 personnel, but left it to individuals to decide

The Bahraini government offered to vaccinate F1 personnel ahead of the 2021 season. Bahrain was set to host pre-season testing and the season-opening grand prix, meaning drivers and other F1 personnel could receive both coronavirus jabs in the country. However, the decision to accept the vaccine was left to individuals.

The Bahraini government communicated to all F1 personnel registered as attending the grand prix that it was making a voluntary vaccination programme available to them. Those who chose to accept the offer would be vaccinated on arrival and then receive a second dose 21 days later before leaving.

The Bahraini government said:

> Due to the timescale of this year’s Formula 1 event, including testing, the vast majority of participants will be present in Bahrain for a three-week period ahead of the race. This, in turn, allows a unique opportunity to provide additional protection for those who wish to take up the opportunity in the form of vaccination.

However, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali stated that the championship would not wish to 'jump the queue', with countries at different stages of vaccinating their populations. An F1 spokesperson said:

> Formula 1, as a UK-based organisation, has no plans to be vaccinated as a travelling group ahead of the already established rollout of vaccines through the health system in the UK.

It was understood that F1 teams were expected to follow this stance. Indeed, most F1 drivers and team members decided not to get vaccinated in Bahrain.

One driver who did take up the offer was Sergio Perez, who said:

> Yes, we were offered it and I decided to take up that offer. I have no idea when I could have gotten it home in Mexico. So it was very nice of Bahrain to offer it to us and so I took the [vaccine] myself.

Another was Ferrari's Carlos Sainz. However, Red Bull driver Max Verstappen revealed that he received his first coronavirus jab in Europe.

The country has approved a vaccine passport system

Users must have received two doses of a vaccine, separated by 21 days, and then wait for two weeks for antibodies to develop. The statement said:

> Authorities can verify its validity by scanning a QR code linking to the national vaccine register.

Bahrain was one of the first countries to launch a digital vaccine monitoring system. The BeAware app was introduced during the onset of the pandemic and its initial purpose was for contact tracing. When the country gave the go-ahead for vaccinations in November 2020, the app also facilitated vaccination bookings. Bahrain became the first country to make vaccination appointments available via a mobile app, where Bahrainis could also choose between four vaccines: Sinopharm, Pfizer-BioNTech, Oxford-AstraZeneca, or Sputnik V.

The BeAware app has four colour-coded shields to indicate citizens' vaccination phases: grey for not vaccinated, red for the first dose received, yellow for the second dose received, and green for fully vaccinated (two weeks after the second dose).

Bahrain has taken a similar approach to Israel, where people who don't take their booster shots will lose their fully vaccinated status and the privileges that come with it. In Bahrain, people who are eligible for their booster shots will see their vaccination status lowered on the BeAware app, from a green shield to a yellow shield, until they receive a booster shot.

Bahrain's vaccine passport system is also linked to another world first: a bilateral COVID passport agreement with Israel. This arrangement will allow vaccine passport holders from both nations to travel quarantine-free between the countries. Israel will also issue citizens of Bahrain with their domestic Israeli Green Pass, which will allow them to enter public venues.

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