Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 29 August 2022, Uzbekistan received 201,600 doses of Pfizer pediatric COVID-19 vaccines under the COVAX mechanism. This was reported by the press service of the Sanepid Service.

This donation from the EU and the Government of Sweden will support the Ministry of Health’s efforts to get children aged 5-11 vaccinated and prevent the spread of new strains of COVID-19 in the country.

“Voluntary immunization of children aged 5-11 years with Pfizer vaccines against coronavirus infection has been approved in Uzbekistan in accordance with the recommendations of international and national experts and based on requests from the population. The 201,600 doses of childhood vaccine received today will help protect children from COVID-19 in Uzbekistan,” said Bakhodir Yusupaliyev, head of the Sanitary and Epidemiological Welfare and Public Health Service.

When receiving Pfizer pediatric vaccines against COVID-19, the Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Uzbekistan, Ms. Charlotte Adrian, was present. “The pandemic is not over yet, it is global. We won’t be safe until everyone is safe, and vaccination remains one of the most effective ways to stay safe. This supply from Sweden is innovative, as for the first time in Uzbekistan it opens up access to vaccination for children aged 5 to 11 years. This is part of the European Union’s contribution to the global vaccine solidarity programme. Team Europe remains one of the leading players in the COVAX program aimed at ensuring fair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines worldwide,” she stressed.

Given the epidemic situation with the emergence of new variants of COVID-19 and the peculiarities of its course in children, vaccination of children against this infection is now considered appropriate and extremely important to contain the pandemic around the world. Vaccination of children against coronavirus infection is already being actively introduced in China, the USA, Canada, Israel, several European countries and Latin American countries.

UNICEF prioritizes the fair distribution of vaccines. To date, a total of 21.2 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been delivered to Uzbekistan through the COVAX system. Of these: AZ - 2.15 million; Moderna - 10.68 million, Pfizer 6.62 million and Sinovac 1.77 million doses.