Iraqi Cabinet approved the use of the Chinese Covid-19 vaccine

Shafaq News / the Iraqi Cabinet approved on Tuesday the use of a second Covid-19 vaccine.

The PM Media Office said in a statement the Cabinet directed the Ministry of Health and Environment to provide the Chinese Covid-19 vaccine developed by China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm).

In December 2020, the Iraqi Health authorities have registered the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for import and use in the country.

 The Iraqi Ministry of Health and Environment has signed a contract to buy doses of the American vaccine.

A spokesman for the Ministry, Seif Al-Badr, said in a statement “according to the contract, Iraq will import 1.5 million doses of the vaccine early in 2021.”

Earlier, Spokesman of Ministry of Health Seif Al-Badr said in an interview with the state-owned daily newspaper al-Sabah; "Iraq has signed with Pfizer Company and will sign with others to secure the Covid-19 vaccine."

He added, "Iraq is still Committed to the International Vaccine Alliance (COVAX) under the supervision of the World Health Organization," noting that, "the share of Iraq in this Alliance is 8 million doses."

" The deal brings the total amount of the Pfizer vaccines procured by Iraq to 8 million doses, enough to cover 20% of its population and it is expected to arrive in the next two months," noting that "all governorates will deliver the vaccine through hospitals."

As of Tuesday, Iraq had confirmed 675,982 coronavirus cases, including 13,311 deaths, since the start of the pandemic more than 10 months ago.