Kazakhstan vaccinates over half of its population against COVID-19

Over half of Kazakh residents have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while the second jab has been administered to more than 8.5 million citizens, Kazakh Health Minister Azhar Giniyat reported. According to her, the revaccination campaign is also well underway in the country. Over two million Kazakh citizens have already got a booster shot. Giniyat spoke of types of vaccines currently available in the country.

“I instruct that a sufficient number of vaccines approved by the World Health Organization be made available to all categories of citizens, including for revaccination. Since February 2021, more than 27 million vaccine doses have been delivered to the regions of the country, including 6.4 million doses of the Sputnik V’s first component and 6.4 million doses of the vaccine’s second component, as well as 2.9 million doses of QazCovid-in (QazVac), one million doses of Hayat Vax SARS-CoV-2 Vero Cell (Sinopharm), 500,000 doses of CoronaVac (Sinovac), six million doses of Sinopharm, four million doses of Comirnaty (Pfizer) and 150,000 doses of the Sputnik Light vaccine,”  said the minister.

Azhar Giniyat said that the list of citizens who can be vaccinated with Pfizer will be expanded.

“To date, measures were taken to expand the contingents that can be vaccinated with this vaccine. The issue of the supply of the Comirnaty vaccine produced by Pfizer Company in the amount of one million doses is being worked out to ensure the availability of the vaccine for other vulnerable groups of the population,” she announced.

In the meantime, children between ages 12 and 17, as well as pregnant and nursing women are receiving Pfizer shots. The vaccine has recently become available for the revaccination of health workers and people over 60.

 

 

Translation by Assem Zhanmukhanova and Ademi Serikbay

Editing by Galiya Khassenkhanova