Vaccine
A woman holds a small bottle labeled with a "Coronavirus COVID-19 Vaccine" sticker and a medical syringe in this illustration taken October 30, 2020. Image Credit: Reuters

Cairo: Saudi Arabia has opened registration for obtaining booster shots against COVID-19 amid a vigorous vaccination campaign against the potentially fatal ailment.

The Health Ministry has said that registering for the booster jabs is available for people over the age of 18 and those who got the second dose of the vaccine at least six months.

The ministry said it had already started giving the booster shot to the most vulnerable categories including renal failure patients, health workers and the elderly people as well as sufferers of chronic diseases.

Nearly 45 million doses have been administered in the kingdom since mass vaccination kicked off in mid-December.

As of Sunday, Saudi Arabia has started relaxing curbs against COVID-19 as the epidemiological situation in the country has stabilised amid a sharp decline in infections.

The relaxed measures include removing mandatory wearing of face masks in outdoor places and ending distancing for worshippers at the two holy mosques in Mecca and Medina where full operation has been reinstated.