Armenia to Receive 400,000 Doses of Pfizer Vaccine from Portugal

Armenia is set to receive a new batch of COVID-19 vaccines within the framework of the supply process for Eastern Partnership countries. This was announced by the official website of the European Commission, referencing a statement from European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi.

According to the statement, the first shipment will consist of 400,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine from Portugal. “Each new wave of the COVID pandemic increases the urgency of raising vaccination levels. The same is true in the case of the new variant, Omicron. Only vaccination can save us all. We are talking about Eastern Partnership countries where the average vaccination rate is only 28 percent. Therefore, it is time to help them accelerate the vaccination process and fully vaccinate everyone,” the commissioner noted.

On December 13, the European Commission signed an agreement worth €35 million with the Polish Development Bank to implement an innovative mechanism aimed at assisting EU member states in the supply of COVID-19 vaccines to Eastern Partnership countries. Poland's role is to help align the availability of vaccine doses in EU member states with the developing needs of Eastern Partnership countries, as well as to monitor any necessary arrangements with vaccine manufacturers. In the case of resale, the Polish Development Bank will utilize the EU contribution to reimburse donor member countries for vaccine costs on a non-commercial basis. The program will operate until June 2023 or until the exhaustion of the EU investment.

The first shipment planned under this mechanism will take place in the coming weeks from Portugal to Armenia. Several other member countries have already expressed their readiness to participate in this initiative.