Georgia receives 100,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine from Red Cross

Georgia has received 100,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine from the Georgia Red Cross Society, which is a gift from the Red Cross of China.

The Georgia Red Cross Society thanks the Red Cross of China and the people of China for the huge support”, the Georgia Red Cross society wrote on Facebook.

It further noted that Georgia Red Cross Society is actively involved in ‘timely, effective and safe implementation of the mass immunization’.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) approved the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine for emergency use in all countries in early May.

The Sinopharm is an inactivated vaccine called SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (Vero Cell), produced by Beijing Bio-Institute of Biological Products Co Ltd, subsidiary of China National Biotec Group (CNBG).

Photo: Georgia Red Cross Society/Facebook

WHO recommends the vaccine for adults 18 years and older, in a two-dose schedule with a spacing of three to four weeks. Vaccine efficacy for symptomatic and hospitalised disease was estimated to be 79%, all age groups combined. 

Georgia received the first 100,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine on April 3, while Sinopharm vaccination started a month later on May 4 a couple of days before it received WHO's green light. 

Vaccination is currently underway with Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines in all regions of Georgia.