WHO sends first doses of coronavirus vaccines to North and East Syria

The World Health Organization sent the first doses of coronavirus vaccines. The Autonomous Administration expects the vaccines to reach them. Ciwan Mistefa, Co-Chair of the North and East Syria Health Committee, stated that they needed 5 million doses.

The World Health Organization sent about 200,000 coronavirus doses of vaccines to Syria on 22 April, as part of the Kovacs program. Providing information on the subject, Northern and Eastern Syria Health Committee co-chair Ciwan Mistefa said: “In reality, 900,000 vaccines had to come. Due to some technical difficulties, this number was reduced to 200,000. And 53,800 doses were sent to the areas occupied by the Turkish state.”

Mistefa said that healthcare workers will be vaccinated first and added: “We need one million vaccines for the first stage. The World Health Organization has promised to send vaccines to all healthcare professionals in Northern and Eastern Syria. They said that 700,000 vaccines will be sent for people with chronic diseases and older age by the beginning of June. There is some controversy over the distribution of vaccines. The WHO will monitor the distribution. The effect of the 3rd wave of coronavirus in our region are serious. However, the numbers are gradually decreasing."

Mistefa said that the partial and general curfew has positive effects and added that all citizens should act within the precautionary measures.

According to the latest data in Northern and Eastern Syria, 15,176 people tested positive for coronavirus. 519 people died. 1,538 people recovered.