YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 26, ARMENPRESS. Armenia’s ministry of healthcare has issued a statement over the purchase of the vaccine against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Armenpress presents the ministry’s statement:

“The purchase of vaccines against COVID-19 is important for controlling the coronavirus disease and improving the epidemiological situation in Armenia.

For this purpose negotiations are being held with all possible sides, in particular with the vaccine producers and international partners.

Currently there is a unique opportunity for acquiring COVID-19 vaccines. A single procurement platform has been formed, which is coordinated by the international partners through the COVAX FACILITY Foundation. The latter is conducting direct talks with the vaccine producers, by contributing to the acceleration of the process, setting common prices for vaccines, supporting the purchase of vaccines with the guaranteed price and amount for the countries involved in the Foundation.

The Ministry of Healthcare has signed an agreement with the COVAX FACILITY for acquiring vaccine against COVID-19. It is expected to purchase nearly 600,000 doses for nearly 300,000 people who are at a risky group, two doses for each one. The total cost of acquiring the vaccine is nearly 6 million 330 thousand USD, the average cost of one dose is 10.55 USD, which can be reduced as a result of the negotiations.

The supply of the first dose of the vaccine is expected in 2021, after license of safe and effective vaccines and permission for their use.

We expect that the implementation of coronavirus vaccines in Armenia will contribute to reducing the disease, preventing the disease-related death cases and easing the overload of the healthcare system”.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan