Questions surround coronavirus vaccination plan in Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan will allocate funds for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccine supplies from the Foundation for the Facilitation of the Fight against the Coronavirus. Risk groups to be vaccinated first have already been publicly announced. The vaccination will have a voluntary nature. But the authorities aren’t revealing which country the vaccines will be purchased from.

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The coronavirus situation in Azerbaijan is stable, says Ramin Bayramli, board chairman of the Azerbaijani Management Union of Medical Territorial Units (TƏBİB).

“Currently, the country is conducting bilateral as well as multilateral negotiations regarding vaccines against the coronavirus. Presently, nine companies in the world are in the third phase of trials of such preparations. If any of the vaccines is approved by international healthcare organizations, Azerbaijan will be first in line among the countries to try it out,” said Bayramli.

According to studies, Bayramli noted, vaccination of 20 per cent of the population at the first stage could have a positive outcome on the epidemiological situation.

“Work is being carried out in two directions: production of vaccines domestically or purchase and delivery to Azerbaijan from abroad.

“Presently production of such preparation in our country is not possible. It applies not only to Azerbaijan but many other countries as well. That is why currently the main goal is to deliver the vaccine from abroad”, said TƏBİB board chairman.

Bayramli says the risk groups are comprised of healthcare workers, law enforcement representatives who are in permanent contact with the population, as well as people with diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, renal impairment, patients requiring dialysis.

Presently, the vaccination of population has only begun in Russia, with its own vaccine. World Health Organization thanked Russia for the trials and production of the vaccine but still has not approved it as a recommended medication for vaccination against the COVID-19 infection.