Iraq approves emergency use of Pfizer vaccine

Iraq has signed a "preliminary deal" with Pfizer to obtain 1.5 million vaccine doses, with deliveries starting in early 2021.
A woman holds a small bottle labeled with a "Vaccine COVID-19" sticker and a medical syringe in this illustration taken April 10, 2020. (Photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic)
A woman holds a small bottle labeled with a "Vaccine COVID-19" sticker and a medical syringe in this illustration taken April 10, 2020. (Photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraqi Health Ministry spokesman Saif al-Badr announced on Sunday that the federal drug regulatory body had approved the emergency use of the Pfizer–BioNTech coronavirus vaccine.

The announcement just a week after Badr reported that Iraq had signed “a preliminary deal with Pfizer” to obtain 1.5 million vaccine shots. The doses would arrive in the country in multiple stages starting in early 2021 and would cover nearly 750,000 vaccinations since each person requires two.

Health Minister Hassan al-Tamimi later explained that the government has about 140 cooling storage units to preserve the vaccine. He also noted that Iraq will get the vaccine “soon” and begin injections but did not set a specific timeline.

Tamimi reiterated that combatting the highly-infectious coronavirus disease requires a strict commitment to health guidelines, including wearing masks, washing hands, and avoiding crowds and large gatherings.

Earlier in the day, the Health Ministry reported that it had recorded 818 new coronavirus infections and thirteen deaths across the country. This raised the total number of cases to 591,597, including 12,780 fatalities.

As the number of cases continues to increase globally, and amid a new and, reportedly, more contagious virus strain, the Iraqi government on Tuesday declared a travel ban to and from several countries, including the UK. It also shut down all of its border crossings.

These measures would remain in effect for two weeks, starting on December 24.

Related Article: Iraq shutters land borders, bans travel amid new COVID-19 strain

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said it has no evidence suggesting the new strain caused worse symptoms or is more deadly. But It noted that more studies needed for confirmation.

Editing by Khrush Najari