(ANSA) - BAGHDAD, 02 MAR - Iraq has received its first vaccines against the coronavirus.
This is 50,000 doses of Sinopharm, donated by China.
Health Ministry spokesman Seif al-Badr explained that the vaccines will be delivered "to the three main hospitals in Baghdad and perhaps some provinces" and that the vaccination campaign will begin today through registration on a special site. Priority will be given to health workers, security forces and the elderly. The health minister also announced that it had agreed with the Chinese ambassador in Baghdad to purchase another two million doses, without providing details on payment or timing. The vaccines come just as Iraq grapples with a new wave of Covid-19 with over 3,000 new cases reported every day and deaths tripled to around 25 a day in the past few weeks. (HANDLE).
