Afghanistan runs out of vaccine amid Covid surge

Staff member handles AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines in storage at Region Hovedstaden's Vaccine Center, Copenhagen, Denmark

The doses were used to vaccinate health workers, members of the armed forces, teachers and media staff.

The country is expected to receive another 700,000 doses of vaccines from China “in the near future” ,but there is no exact date for the deliveries, Nazari said.

Afghanistan is struggling to receive vaccines for the entire population.

The country is supposed to receive vaccines for a fifth of the population through COVAX.

For another 28 per cent of the population, Kabul has the budget to buy vaccines itself, Nazari said.

The government was trying to get vaccines as soon as possible.

However, he added, “like the majority of the underdeveloped countries”, Afghanistan was confronted with the problem that there is massive global vaccine demand.

Recently, the country witnessed a surge in new infections with the virus.

Currently, of 1,500 intensive care beds for the whole country 72 per cent are already occupied by patients, according to the official.

Afghanistan’s current Covid-19 caseload and death toll stand at 70,761 and 2,919, respectively.

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