Lebanon has terminated a contract with Pfizer to receive 2.1 million doses of the vaccine against coronavirus amid an increase in infections in the small country
Doses to reach Lebanon start in early February, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
The government statement said the Pfizer vaccines will be supplemented by another 2.7 million doses from the DA-led program to prepare for countries in crisis. He did not give any date when these doses were expected to be reached but said the agreement was signed in October.
A lawyer earlier told The Associated Press that Pfizer’s contract is being negotiated for $ 18 per dose, a price that takes into account Lebanon’s economic woes, and is expected to cover 20% of the price. -free population. A World Bank loan is to cover most of the cost.
Another 2 million doses are being negotiated in coordination with the private sector of Lebanon and the other international pharmaceutical companies that developed the vaccines, the ministry said. He named Oxford-Astrazeneca and Sinopharm China as the international sources.
Lebanon, a country with more than 6 million, including at least 1 million refugees, has seen a huge climb in diseases since the Christmas and New Year holidays. The increase has taken over hospitals and the healthcare system.
During the holiday season, restrictions that were in place for months to combat the virus were reduced to encourage spending with about 80,000 people returning home to celebrate. The pandemic has hit Lebanon at a time when it is already struggling with economic and financial crises. The combination has cut the country’s currency, banks are imposing informal withdrawal controls and businesses are closing across the country.
As infections and ICU beds became filled, authorities imposed the tight lock still starting last Thursday, hoping restrictions in place until Feb. 1 could help lift.
In the last few weeks, between 4,000 and 5,000 diseases have been recorded daily and daily death tolls have risen, up from numbers that came in around 1,000 since November.
In the first 11 days of January alone, the Lebanese Red Cross said it had transported more than 1,200 COVID-19 patients to hospitals.
To date Lebanon has recorded 249,158 diseases and approximately 1,866 deaths.
Many have expressed concern that the measures are too late – many hospitals have already reached the maximum capacity for patients with coronavirus, some have run out of beds, oxygen tanks and air conditioners while and others have discontinued selected surgeries.
There are already plans to extend the lock beyond Valentine’s Day on February 14 – another famous holiday in Lebanon.
Following a bureaucratic delay, the country is now hoping for vaccines. Parliament on Friday passed a law allowing the last contract to be signed with Pfizer, offering pharmaceutical companies guarantees for the emergency roll-out of the vaccine. Lebanon has at least 12 refrigerators for storing the vaccine.
Israel and the Gulf countries were the first in the Middle East to receive vaccines and begin protecting their populations. Iran, which has been battling the worst revolution in the region, has announced it is banning the introduction of American and British vaccines and launched in December the human testing phase. of the home vaccine.
Nearby Syria, torn apart by the 10-year conflict, is waiting to be vaccinated through the DA-led program but President Bashar Assad has said he will discuss with Russia a is getting the vaccine developed there. Iraq said it will confirm Pfizer vaccinations early this year, but has not released further details, including inoculation plans.
In Egypt, the most populous country in the Arab world, health authorities said earlier this month the Chinese vaccine was approved for emergency use, and inoculations would begin within two weeks . They are also negotiating with Pfizer and Oxford-Astrazeneca.