Tunisia is set to receive 6 Million Doses of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine, as the country struggles to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic that has exacerbated health and economic crises.
Tunisia COVID-19 Vaccine
Tunisia’s Minister of Health, Faouzi Mehdi, announced early this month that the Ministry officially signed contracts to receive 6 million doses of the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The first vaccination batch will serve up to 3 million Tunisians, which is 25% of the population.
Mehdi indicated that Tunisia aims to vaccinate up to 50% of the population in 2021, without specifying the name or date of the arrival of the vaccine. He also noted that public financing for health is regarded as a top priority as the country continues to face the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tunisia Coronavirus Vaccine Will Be Available in “Late March”
Director General of the Pasteur Institute of Tunis Hechmi Louzir also confirmed earlier in December that Tunisia has already reserved the 6 million doses of Coronavirus vaccines from the American pharmaceutical company Pfizer.
He added in an interview with the state news agency Tunis Afrique Presse that the COVID-19 vaccines will be free for all Tunisian citizens and that the first batch is expected to arrive in late march 2021.
The first doses of the vaccine will be allocated to those suffering from chronic diseases, the elderly and health workers, according to Louzir, who noted that vaccination will not be mandatory.
According to local media, it is reported that the Ministry of Health had signed an agreement to obtain vaccines at $7 per dose.
On Dec. 26th, the number of detected Coronavirus cases in Tunisia reached 130 230, reported the WHO.
