Shafaq News / The Iraqi Ministry of Health and Environment revealed, on Monday, that it has guaranteed 8 million double dose vaccines of coronavirus, indicating that they will be prepared within The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI).

The Director of Public Health at the Ministry, Riad Al-Halfi, said in statements published by government media, that Iraq has not yet reached the peak of Coronavirus infections and that it is still in the first phase.

He added that the Ministry is preparing a plan to absorb the largest number of cases by equipping hospitals with more beds, medical supplies and health staff, indicating that the epidemiological situation is witnessing a significant increase in infections, and there is no solution except the vaccine.

He added that Iraq is working on contracting with the most advanced companies in producing the vaccine, including those developed by the AstraZeneca company, as well as two other vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna and there are other discussions in the same context with both China and Russia.

Al-Halfi stressed that Iraq has priority in preparing vaccines, but companies cannot produce 7 billion vaccines for the world's citizens at once, so as a beginning they will produce a quantity to recover approximately 20 percent of the population of every country that have contracted with GAVI in 2020, and Iraq will guarantee 8 million doses of the vaccine and will be followed by a second 8 million.

He pointed out that the ministry is communicating with other companies outside GAVI to provide more quantities of the vaccine, because the 20 percent does not meet the needs Iraq.