The immunization program started on Sept. 24 following the awareness program conducted in all 20 health regions. The program, which will continue for the next three weeks, is being carried out by the ministry in coordination with the Ministries of Education and Higher Education.

Ziad Al-Memish, deputy minister of health for preventive medicine, said that out of the 926,914 students immunized during the past week, Riyadh region recorded 235,000 vaccinated students, the highest number among all the 20 regions in the Kingdom. He added that the ministry hopes to immunize 1.125 million students in Riyadh alone by the end of the program.

“We have deployed 4,150 medical teams throughout the country including 1,200 groups in the Riyadh region,” the deputy minister said.

The ministry spokesman Dr. Khalid Al-Mirghalani said the ministry has stocked 7,260 million vaccines for the entire program that would be carried out in two stages. “We have already dispatched 3,592 triple viral vaccines to all health regions in the Kingdom,” Al-Mirghalani said, adding that the huge public response indicates that the number would go beyond the anticipated target.

The spokesman attributed the good response from the students to the ministry’s successful awareness campaign carried out during the week preceding the immunization program.

Al-Mirghalani said the governors of the various regions in the Kingdom are extending full cooperation for the effective implementation of the campaign.

The ministry has currently opened a helpline — 800 24 94 444 — to assist people who want to know more about the program. The spokesman also pointed out that this is the first time the ministry is using Facebook and Twitter as tools to carry the message to the people.