Italy donates over 100,000 COVID-19 vaccines to Iraq: UNICEF

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Italy provided Iraq with a batch of more than 100,000 coronavirus vaccines on Sunday, the United Nations' children's fund announced. 

The international organization did not identify which brand of the vaccine Italy provided Iraq, which uses AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech, and Sinopharm to fight the contagion.

The batch was donated through an international distribution consortium known as COVAX.

“Thanks to the Government of Italy for its donation of 100,800 vaccine doses to Iraq through the COVAX facility,” Sheema SenGupt, the representative of UNICEF, said on Sunday.

Iraq, including its autonomous Kurdistan Region, has so far administered over 4 million shots to its citizens. The country’s vaccination target for the end of the year is 20 percent of Iraqis.

“Thanks to the Government of Italy for its donation of 100,800 vaccine doses to Iraq through the COVAX facility” – stated @ShSenGupta. Vaccinate to protect yourself, your family and your community. #VaccinesWork @ItalyinIraq @MOHealth_Iraq @WHOIraq @gavi pic.twitter.com/XNBpaAtQJ6

— UNICEF Iraq - يونيسف العراق (@UNICEFiraq) September 12, 2021

Iraq recently extended the interval between the first and second doses of the Pfizer vaccine from 21 days to 56 to inoculate more citizens.

The country receives a new batch of vaccines each week from COVAX. Nearly 10 percent of these shots are provided to the Kurdistan Region for distribution throughout that autonomous region. 

The country began its vaccination drive in early March when it received the first donated batches of Chinese Sinopharm.