Firas Abiad, the Director General of Rafic Hariri Hospital, explained via Twitter that, in order to protect those who are reluctant to take the vaccine, one should speed things up for those who need to take it, including youngsters, because even if they become susceptible to infection, which is rare, they are unlikely to spread the virus to others, and thus we will break the transmission of pathogens.

Abiad believes that Lebanon cannot withstand a new outbreak of the Corona virus due to the struggling economy and a lack of medical supplies, and has advocated for targeting those who want to receive the vaccine, even if they are in a much younger age group, rather than waiting for those who are hesitant to come for vaccination, which results in a slow community spread.

According to Abiad, “the percentage of the country who has been partially vaccinated is still less than 13%. This is a low percentage as compared to other countries, and it makes us exposed to a new corona wave. Younger people are more active and mixed in society, and many of them spread the virus without exhibiting symptoms if they become infected.”

“They also commonly stay in hospital for longer if their injuries are severe,” he added. “This is why administering the vaccine protects them as well as people around them. We expect that the age range of vaccine recipients will be decreased soon and at a faster rate; this is a race, and we must be ahead of any new strain that emerges.”