Coronavirus: more than 120,000 vaccine doses due to arrive in March

Cyprus will receive more than 120,000 Covid vaccines in March, the health ministry said on Tuesday.

Approximately 10,000 Pfizer vaccines are expected to be delivered in Cyprus each week next month, and about 12,000 from AstraZeneca, Deputy Head of the Medical Services Olga Kalakouta told state broadcaster CyBC.

Several thousands are also expected from the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine.

Meanwhile, two large vaccination centres are opening this week, Kalakouta said. One is located at the old power company building in Paphos with seven teams, expected to open on Thursday; the other in Larnaca, at the Pasydy building, which will open on Friday and will also be staffed with seven teams.

To date, 20 teams are operating nationwide in nine vaccination centres.

Priority for appointments is given to the elderly, in age group subcategories, and health professionals. The vaccination of those belonging to vulnerable groups has also started, prioritising people who have received a transplant.

On Tuesday, 16,904 appointments became available for people 71 and above, the majority of which (12,480) were booked between 9am and 3pm.

“The more we move on to younger age groups, the speed of vaccination will be faster,” Kalakouta added.

Related to the vaccine quantities, the health ministry said deliveries in the following three months after March will certainly be larger.