Kyrgyzstan refuses from Pfizer coronavirus vaccine

AKIPRESS.COM - Health Minister Alymkadyr Beishenaliev said Pfizer coronavirus vaccine does not fit Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyzstan joined COVAX program of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation, he said.
"The Global Alliance offered Pfizer vaccine to us. However, vaccine should be stored at temperature -70°C. They promised to provide 1.2 million doses for free. We need special vaccine refrigerators to bring vaccines, store them and vaccinate population. We do not have such refrigerators. We wanted to buy them, but one such refrigerator costs more than $4,000. We would need $2 million more for Pfizer vaccine. Unfortunately, we do not have such funds in the public budget," the Health Minister said.
Health Minister Beishenaliev said the Health Ministry will ask for another vaccine the Global Alliance has.
"We are also in talks with the Russian government on delivery of the coronavirus vaccine, which is accessible for Kyrgyzstan. The Russian vaccines are stored at temperature between -2°C and -18°C. We have refrigerators that will support such cold chain," the Health Minister added.
"Coronavirus will stay long and we should think about construction of the plant for production of vaccines in Kyrgyzstan. The material for vaccine itself is relatively cheap," the Health Minister added.
The Ministry of Health said on January 12 Kyrgyzstan received documents for study of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.