USAID to provide refrigerators and syringes for 1.2 million doses of coronavirus vaccine to Kyrgyzstan - Health Ministry

AKIPRESS.COM - The government should supply refrigerators for storage of coronavirus vaccines, MP Akylbek Japarov said in Parliament today.
"All vaccines need temperature below zero for their storage. It was necessary to establish production, to supply refrigerators in advance. Pfizer started its production a year ago and we knew at that time that storage will require -70°C temperature. Russian vaccines also require cold chain. This is not a new information. If we do not have refrigerators, we need to buy them," MP Japarov said.
Health Minister Alymkadyr Beishenaliev said Kyrgyzstan participates in COVAX program. "They will provide 1.2 million doses of vaccine, while USAID will provide refrigerators, syringes for 1.2 million doses for free. They will arrive in Kyrgyzstan in June. But these doses won't be enough. This is why we are holding talks with the Russian side on vaccines as well. Acting President Talant Mamytov has requested 500,000 vaccine doses from Russia," the Health Minister said.
Deputy Prime Minister Elvira Surabaldieva said the Health Minister provided wrong information that caused so much debates in public.
"Only 30,000 doses of Pfizer coronavirus vaccine will be provided for 15,000 people. The Ministry of Health asked whether it is appropriate to buy refrigerators for 30,000 doses of vaccine that requires ultra-cold chain at -70°C that would cost $2 million. Nine vaccines will be offered through COVAX program. Other vaccines may be supplied. They have another cold chain and this issue will be discussed by the Ministry of Health," the Deputy Prime Minister stated.
The discussions were held on Russian coronavirus vaccine that is produced in Novosibirsk. Supply of 500,000 doses of the vaccine was discussed, Elvira Surabaldieva said.