Private sources revealed to Sowt al-Asimah that a batch of the Russian “Sputnik” Covid-19 vaccine had arrived in Syria.
The sources said that the Ministry of Health received nearly 100 thousand doses of the Russian vaccine, indicating that the vaccination process will include medical personnel in the “governmental” hospitals in Damascus and its countryside, and another in Lattakia and Homs, in addition to military hospitals throughout Syria.
The sources added that the Ministry of Health has completed scheduling the names of those eligible to receive the vaccine in the first stage, indicating that the plan provides for the use of only half of the quantity during this stage.
The sources confirmed that the Ministry of Health will receive other batches of the Russian vaccine later, after submitting reports on the medical results of the first phase, indicating that the agreed quantity was provided “for free.”
According to the sources, the negotiations process between the regime and “COVAX” organization stalled before reaching a final agreement between the two parties to obtain the vaccine.
Late last year, the director of the emergency system at the Ministry of Health, Tawfiq Hassaba, said that the COVAX platform, established by the World Health Organization, is supposed to provide the vaccine to 70 countries, including Syria, indicating that health has reserved a share with the organization.
The head of the Syrian Doctors Syndicate, Kamal Asad Amer, revealed the date of arrival of the Chinese and Russian vaccines next April, as part of a plan drawn up by the government team, aiming to draw two million doses of vaccines and give priority to receiving them in the first phase for doctors and medical personnel.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
