President Zurabishvili receives AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine live on TV

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili received the coronavirus AstraZeneca vaccine live on TV earlier today. 

She said that without vaccination, Georgia and the world will not be able to end the pandemic. 

• Georgian health officials, doctors receive coronavirus vaccine live on TV

Georgia received 43,200 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine on March 13.

Since March 15 about 3,000 medical workers have been vaccinated. 

Head of Georgia’s Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, AIDS and Clinical Immunology Tengiz Tsertsvadze has stated that ‘people were criticizing the government and health officials due to the absence of vaccines, now we have the vaccine and people are refraining from vaccination.’ 

He said that a ‘large-scale negative campaign’ on social media is hindering the vaccination process. 

Head of Georgia’s National Centre for Disease Control Amiran Gamkrelidze has requested the Georgian Patriarchate to encourage people to vaccinate. 

However, the patriarchate refused to do so and stated that it was not their responsibility. 

Georgian Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze met with Patriarch Ilia II earlier today to discuss issues concerning vaccination. 

After the meeting Tikaradze said that the Patriarchate's position is the same. However, she said that the Patriarchate ‘will support the decisions of the government which will ensure the health of Georgian citizens.’ 

Georgia is expecting 29,250 doses of Pfizer vaccine on March 22.