Armenia expecting more Sputnik-V vaccines "in the near future"April 7, 2021 - 14:59 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia will soon receive a new batch of the Russian Sputnik-V vaccine against the coronavirus, Minister of Health Anahit Avanesyan told reporters on Wednesday, April 7, according to Armenpress. The 24,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine which Armenia bought in late March are still in the process of customs clearance and distribution Avanesyan added. The Minister said the country's health authorities are waiting for a final evaluation of the jabs which the EU and WHO are set to release in the next few days. Only after that Armenia will decide which age groups is getting the AstraZeneca vaccines, she said. A senior official at the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has said there is a link between the AstraZeneca vaccine and rare cases of blood clots reported across the continent. However, the EMA said earlier that the benefits of the vaccine in preventing Covid-19, with its associated risk of hospitalization and death, outweigh the risks of side effects. Avanesyan noted that the Sputnik-V vaccination program is also ongoing. “We will soon receive a new batch of Sputnik-V and broaden the scope of people [eligible for vaccination],” she said. Armenia purchased the first batch AstraZeneca vaccines – 24,000 doses – in late March, which will be used to inoculate people aged over 65, those who have underlying health conditions, medical workers, residents and staff of elderly care centers, as well as social care center employees in the first phase of the country's vaccination program. The Chief of the Prime Minister's Staff, ex-Minister of Health Arsen Torosyan said earlier that the government is planning to purchase several hundred thousand doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus. Top stories The number of state universities will be reduced from 23 to 8 by 2030, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has said. From September 21 to November 11, a total of 2,820 Russians registered at a place of residence in Armenia, the police has said. The situation on the contact line between Karabakh and Azerbaijan was relatively stable overnight, the Defense Army says. Defense Minister Suren Papikyan has visited the southern Armenian province of Syunik, the Defense Ministry reported on March 18. Partner news | Turkey extends military presence in Azerbaijan The Turkish parliament has adopted a bill submitted by Recep Tayyip Erdogan to extend the mandate of Turkish troops. Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills Armenian, Saudi Foreign Minister meet in Riyadh The two commended the positive dynamics of the development of political dialogue between Armenia and Saudi Arabia Pashinyan: Azerbaijan’s proximity shouldn’t worry border residents At the same time, he said that he “does not guarantee [the security of villagers] one hundred percent”. |