Coronavirus: Second batch of EU vaccines for the north

Another 1,170 Pfizer vaccine doses will be delivered to the Turkish Cypriot side on Monday, co-chair of the bicommunal Technical Committee on Health Leonidas Phylactou said on Saturday.

The vaccines are part of the ones the EU reserved for Cyprus.

“The Republic of Cyprus has included in its planning the needs of the Turkish Cypriots and doses of vaccines will be given gradually,” Phylactou told the Cyprus News Agency. He added that the consultation with the Turkish Cypriots is done through the technical committee on health.

On Monday, the second delivery of a batch of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will take place, 1,170 doses.

Last Monday, the first batch of 1,080 doses was delivered.

Fylactou, referring to the limited production worldwide of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines at the moment, said that when the production increases, more quantities will be given to the Turkish Cypriots as well.

Turkish Cypriot co-chair of the committee, Cenk Soydan said this week that they have requested 400,000 doses but there has not been a clear response yet as to the final number that will be delivered to the north.

Vaccinations in the north started last week after the arrival of 20,000 doses of Chinese Sinovac’s vaccines, sent from Turkey.