Covid-19: Palestinians sign vaccine deals, including with Russia

(Alamy)
Supply enought to innoculate 70 per cent of the population in two months.
The Palestinian Authority said Monday it had signed contracts with four coronavirus vaccine providers, including Russia’s Sputnik V, and should have enough supply to innoculate 70 per cent of the population in two months.
“The health ministry has signed contracts with four companies for the delivery of vaccines that will arrive in two months,” Palestinian prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said, ahead of the weekly cabinet meeting.
The Palestinian vaccination campaign will start with health workers, the sick and elderly, Shtayyeh said.
He specified that the procurement was intended to cover the 2.8 million Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, as well as the 2 million Palestinians in Israel-blockaded Gaza.
The PA had previously said that it expected to receive an initial supply of vaccines under the UN-backed Covax programme, which aims to help poorer nations address the pandemic.
An official with the Palestinian health ministry, Yasser Bouzia, said the contracts signed are worth a total of $21 million.
The deals are with Pfizer-BioNTech, the British partnership between AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, US company Johnson & Johnson and the Russian vaccine developers.
Palestinian health minister Mai al-Kaila confirmed in a separate statement that the PA had approved the use of Sputnik V.
Russia began vaccinations with Sputnik in early December, even though it was still in its third phase of clinical trials.
The rushed procedures raised concerns that the vaccine was part of Moscow’s efforts to bolster its geopolitical influence.
The PA has not publicly said whether it has sought vaccines from Israel, which is carrying out an aggressive national innoculation campaign.
But the Palestine Liberation Organisation on Monday called on the international community “to hold Israel to account” and ensure the Jewish state provides vaccines to all Palestinians living under Israeli occupation.
Five Israeli human rights organisations on Monday also filed a supreme court petition urging authorities to vaccinate Palestinians in Israeli custody.
According to the Palestinian Prisoners Club, a rights group, 190 Palestinian inmates have tested positive for coronavirus since April.
The Palestinian health ministry has recorded more than 102,000 cases coronavirus cases in the West Bank, including 1,164 deaths.
In Gaza, more than 45,000 cases have been registered, including 447 deaths.
-
Coronavirus Pandemic
Covid-19: Mental health issues slow recovery for...
People may also suffer from depression and anxiety. READ MORE
-
Coronavirus Pandemic
Covid-19: Kuwait to impose curfew
Kuwait registered a record daily toll of 1,716 cases on Thursday. READ MORE
-
News
Covid-19: Wedding, event halls to remain closed...
The emirate had also earlier announced stricter rules. READ MORE
-
Coronavirus Pandemic
Covid: New UAE campaign offers free PCR tests at...
The elderly, those with chronic diseases and other vulnerable... READ MORE
-
Government
UAE passed 11 laws in two years to empower women
Landmark legal reforms include equal wages for women and men;... READ MORE
-
VAT in UAE
Services provided by artists, influencers subject ...
Announcement shared in the latest Basic Tax Information Bulletin. READ MORE
-
Emergencies
Sharjah: Over 11,300 cameras help police ensure...
3 types of cameras installed in Sharjah, including ones that detect... READ MORE
-
MENA
Saudi-led coalition bombs Houthi targets in Yemen
Ten Houthi drones targeting civilians were destroyed on Sunday. READ MORE


