Algeria will use the Russian Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine when its scheduled mass vaccination against Covid-19 starts in January, the media reported.
According to a report in the TSA news portal, the Algerian government took the decision following a meeting on Wednesday chaired by Prime Minister Abdelaziz Djerad.
On December 20, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune instructed Djerad to pick a vaccine to launch mass vaccination in January, TASS news agency reported.
“The Algerian health minister has announced the signing of an agreement with a Russian laboratory to purchase the coronavirus vaccine to start vaccination in January,” said a spokesperson for the cabinet Ammar Belhimer.
According to him, the Pasteur Institute of Algeria “carried out consultations with the Russian producer of the Sputnik V vaccine, while simultaneously continuing consultations with other foreign parties.”
On December 14, Minister of Health, Population and Hospital Reform Abderrahmane Benbouzid revealed that vaccination against Covid-19 will be free of charge for all categories of citizens.
Algeria has so far reported over 98,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 2,700 deaths.
