Prime Minister Edi Rama announced on Thursday that he is currently in Turkey to secure another batch of COVID-19 vaccines for Albania.

“In Istanbul for more vaccines. We will make it,” PM Rama wrote on Twitter, early in the morning, while he is expected to return in Albania around 13:00.

Euronews Albania reported on Wednesday that together with ministers Arben Ahmetaj and Ogerta Manastirliu, the head of the government was paying a two-day visit to Turkey. The two ministers were given the authority on Tuesday to negotiate with authorized distributors for the COVID-19 vaccines.

Distribution of the Chinese vaccine

The agreement with the “Keymen Ilaç Sanayive Ticaret” company for the distribution of the Chinese vaccine “Sinovac” was published on the Official Bulletin on Tuesday. However, in a press conference, the deputy health minister, Eugena Tomini, said that the agreement had not been fully inked down and the parties were still discussing on the number of vaccines that Albania was to receive. Tomini further added that the final agreement would be communicated to the Albanian citizens once they reached a deal.

Vaccination campaign

Since January 11, when Albania launched the vaccination campaign, 90 thousand doses of the COVID-19 vaccines have been delivered to Albania, of which, more than half (around 54 thousand) were given to the medical staff, the elderly and teachers.

Albania has prepaid a total of 3.9 million dollars to the WHO-backed COVAX mechanism to receive some 1 million 114 thousand vaccines, and is currently holding talks with the EU for a 11-million-euro grant, expected to be invested in the vaccination program.

The government has also ordered 500 thousand doses through direct negotiations with Pfizer and expects to begin mass vaccination by increasing vaccination capacities.

Data gathered by Euronews Albania indicate that since the start of the vaccination process in the country, the daily average of injections has been 739 doses per day.