According to the Deputy Minister of Health, Tamar Gabunia, Georgia, will receive vaccines from AstraZeneca produced in India and South Korea. According to her, the deadline for receiving Pfizer vaccines has been postponed, which Georgia expected by mid-February, and AstraZeneca vaccines may arrive in the country before that.
At this stage, Georgia expects 3 tranches of vaccines from 2 sources - COVAX and direct negotiations with vaccine manufacturers. These are 29 thousand doses of Pfizer vaccine (from COVAX); 315 thousand doses of AstraZeneca vaccine (from COVAX) and 150 thousand doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from direct negotiations. By the end of the first quarter of the year, only 2 tranches - 29 thousand doses of Pfizer and 315 thousand doses of AstraZeneca vaccines.
"This week we received confirmation of 29,000 doses of the vaccine from Pfizer in the country. The conditions on their part were mainly related to the issue of the cold chain. We will hold talks with them again and all the details will be clarified as a result, we will know when we will receive these doses, which Georgia should receive through the COVAX platform in the first quarter. Doses were expected until the end of February, but were postponed due to additional conditions.
As for AstraZeneca, negotiations are underway with it both on the COVAX platform and directly. The WHO has authorized two vaccines of AstraZeneca, which are of Indian and Korean origin. Both vaccines will be available for our region. Details on how many Pfizer vaccines we will receive with the COVAX platform are specified. The estimated number is up to 315,000 doses, which will be specified in the coming days.
AstraZeneca may attend the arrival, "the deputy minister said.
