idlib a covid19 vaccine campaign kicked off in syrias last rebelheld enclave on saturday with a 45yearold frontline nurse becoming the first to receive a unsecured jab nizar fattouh a nurse in ibn sina hospital in idlib city received one of 53800 astrazeneca vaccines delivered to northwest syria through turkey on april 21 the vaccines come amid a new surge of infections in the wartorn country syria supplies of oxygen are depleted and its hospitals were already overwhelmed from 10 years of conflict and deteriorating health care services the astrazeneca vaccines were delivered to the rebelcontrolled area through a border crossing with turkey the northwestern territorys only gateway to the outside world idlib health official yasser najib said the jabs were provided through the unled covax program for the worlds poor and developing nations he said the vaccination campaign will last 21 working days starting saturday in two of the enclaves largest hospitals on monday the campaign will unfold in other health centers najib said he said the small quantity will prioritize health care workers and aid personnel who are on the front line of the battle against the coronavirus infections among health care workers in the enclave have been high accounting for as many as 30 of confirmed cases at one point there are over 21000 confirmed infections in the rebelheld enclave home to 4 million people most of them displaced from different parts of syria by the conflict at least 641 have died in the area from covid19 related complications conflict has subsided in the area but outbreaks of violence are still reported syria has been divided by the war so vaccinations in governmentcontrolled areas nearly 60 of the countrys territory are managed and take place separately the syrian government has secured 200000 vaccines through the unled program but also has obtained doses from china russia and the united arab emirates a limited inoculation campaign had also begun in governmentcontrolled areas that are experiencing increased pressure on hospitals in the kurdishcontrolled northeast authorities announced this week they will extend a partial lockdown amid a surge in infections the oneweek extension comes as an international aid group warned of oxygen shortages in the region northeast syria administered by a kurdishled authority doesnt have a separate inoculation program and is dependent on damascus for testing for the virus and for vaccinations the local health department reported 123 new cases and 14 deaths in the region which is home to nearly 4 million people and borders turkey and iraq the new cases raise to nearly 15800 the total registered coronavirus cases in the region including 571 deaths the world health organization has said the vaccination campaign in syria aims to inoculate 20 of the total population residing in the country by the end of the year