Iraq receives first batch of coronavirus vaccine

Iraq 09:41 AM - 2021-02-28

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On Sunday early morning, the Iraqi Federal Ministry of Health and Environment announced that the Iraqi plane, which is in China, has loaded the first batches of the coronavirus vaccine.

 

The Ministry of Health and Environment said that it approved the use of vaccines from the companies Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Sinopharm through the Iraqi National Committee for the Selection of Medicines for Emergency Use.

 

Indicating that the ministry had completed its plan to receive and distribute the vaccine through accredited hospitals and health centers under the supervision of the higher scientific and advisory committees in the Ministry of Health to cover all citizens within the declared priorities, which include medical and health personnel, security forces, the elderly and people with chronic diseases.

 

The Iraqi government has committed $170 million to secure a coronavirus vaccine, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

 

“Iraq is among the countries that are participating in COVAX. The country has committed $170 million towards this effort, and it is among the first countries to benefit from the vaccine,” says a statement from WHO in 2020.

 

Iraq has previously signed a deal with Pfizer in December last year to buy 1.5 million doses of coronavirus vaccine, while the Iraqi Health Minister Hassan al-Tamimi said earlier in February that Iraq would receive three million doses of the coronavirus vaccine.

 

According to the Health Ministry's plan, the vaccines will first be distributed to health personnel, security personnel, medical workers, elderly over 50 years old, and people with chronic diseases.

 

So far, Iraq has recorded 692,241 coronavirus cases with 632,998 recoveries and a total of 13,383 deaths from the virus.

 

 

 

PUKmedia