Armenia negotiates purchase of US-made Novavax vaccines - minister

YEREVAN, May 11. /ARKA/. Armenia's Health Ministry is negotiating the purchase of the US-manufactured Covid-19 Novavax vaccines, acting Minister of Health Anahit Avanesyan said on May 10.

“We have given a preliminary agreement, but specific terms and volumes of supplies are still being discussed,” she said in an interview with the Armenian service of RFE/RL.

Noting that there is a fairly high demand for all vaccines, Avanesyan noted that vaccine manufacturing countries are trying to first meet their domestic needs, and only then produce for export.

She said the US company Moderna has already given preliminary consent to provide vaccines in fairly large quantities to WHO's COVAX drug-sharing platform.

She said also that about 12 thousand people in Armenia have been vaccinated against coronavirus as of May 10.

“This number is not satisfactory, and we are working to increase the rate and ensure a sufficient threshold for daily vaccinations,” she said.

Large-scale vaccination started in Armenia on April 13. The goal is to have as many as 700,000 people get vaccinated during the year.

Armenia has already bought 24 thousand doses of AstraZeneca, 100,00o dozes of Chinese coronavac and 29,000 dozes of Russian Sputnik V vaccines. Vaccination is voluntary for all citizens over 18 years of age.

According to the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the death toll from Covid-19 has reached 4,256 as of May 11 morning. -0-