504,000 doses of AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine expected in late February in Kyrgyzstan

AKIPRESS.COM - Arrival of 504,000 doses of AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine in Kyrgyzstan is expected in late February, Minister of Health and Social Development Alymkadyr Beishenaliev said.
Minister Beishenaliev said the national vaccination program was developed. Medical workers, teachers, border guards will be vaccinated first.
Vaccination is expected to start in March, he added.
"In order to return to normal, we need to vaccinate 70-80% of population. Then we may freely attend schools, communicate, visit each other," the Minister said.
Kyrgyzstan is also in talks with Russia on coronavirus vaccine. 500,000 doses of Sputnik-V vaccine were ordered. "I think this issue will be solved in next few days," Minister Beishenaliev stated.
The Foreign Ministry is also working with China on coronavirus vaccine, the Health Minister said.
"All these vaccines will be delivered on humanitarian conditions. Thus, Kyrgyzstan will receive 1.2 million doses in the 1st-2nd quarters through COVAX program," Beishenaliev said.
The Minister reminded Kyrgyzstan joined COVAX program earlier. "We were offered Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine at the beginning of the year, but we refused from this vaccine. It requires -70°C cold chain. We needed big money to buy such vaccine refrigerators, but the budget does not have such funds," the Health Minister explained.