The Kingdom on Friday received the first shipment of the AstraZeneca/SK Bioscience COVID vaccine, consisting of 144,000 doses, from the global COVAX initiative at Queen Alia International Airport.

Former minister of health Nathir Obeidat said that this shipment is the result of partnership with the COVAX framework for global collaboration, adding that the "timely” arrival of this shipment will support national efforts to accelerate the COVID immunisation campaign, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported

European Union Ambassador to Jordan Maria Hadjitheodosiou highlighted that the EU has been leading international efforts to ensure equity in the delivery of vaccines to low and middle-income countries.

Through Team Europe’s 2.2 billion euros contribution to COVAX, the EU aims to ensure that all partners have access to safe and effective vaccines, the EU ambassador said.

Maria Cristina Profili, WHO representative to Jordan, said that the COVID vaccines are key to bringing the pandemic under control. As a key COVAX partner, WHO is providing full support to the Ministry of Health in planning, implementation and monitoring of the national immunisation campaign.

COVAX is a global initiative that represents partnership among WHO, Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), working on the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. It includes 190 countries with population of more than 7 billion people ensuring "fair and equal access to COVID-19 vaccines” supplied through UNICEF.

A total of 8 million euros have been made available by the EU to support the Ministry of Health’s purchase of the COVID vaccines through COVAX through its "Jordan Health Programme for Syrian Refugees and Vulnerable Jordanians", implemented by WHO and funded by the Madad Fund.

Another shipment of COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX initiative is expected to arrive to Jordan in April.