The Department of Health in the Riyadh region has vaccinated more than 5,000 people who visited various malls in the Saudi capital to make them safe from seasonal influenza.

“The move is part of an awareness program and will continue for two months to vaccinate as many citizens in the region as possible,” said Saad bin Misfer Al-Qahtani, director of public relations at the health department.

He said that the medical team’s field workers will continue their vaccination drive at the Sahara Mall for 10 days and at the Othaim Mall for another 10 days.

Vaccination drives will also be held at the domestic and international lounges of the King Khaled International Airport (KKIA) also for 10 days, adding that it will be there that the vaccination campaign will end.

Al-Qahtani said the awareness program by vaccinating residents of the Saudi capital will also include all hospitals and primary health care centers in the region.

“The broadcast and social media such as Facebook and Twitter will also be tapped in to disseminate information on how to avoid the infection,” he said.

He called on all the citizens in the region to take advantage of the campaign and initiative to be vaccinated to be free from seasonal influenza.