Morocco acquires 65 million vaccine doses from China, UK

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Morocco announced it has acquired 65 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from China’s Sinopharm and Britain’s AstraZeneca, as the north African kingdom prepares to launch a COVID-19 vaccination program that aims to immunize 80% of the country’s adult population.

Health Minister Khalid Ait Taleb announced the figure at a Cabinet meeting Thursday, but didn't say whether the first doses have already arrived in Morocco. The government didn't indicate whether the vaccines were purchased or provided by Covax, the global project to provide vaccines to developing countries, or a combination of both.

Morocco has one of the most advanced vaccination plans in the region. The country has also reported the second-highest number of virus infections and deaths in Africa, after South Africa.

The Moroccan health minister said the government's target is vaccinating 25 million of the country's 36 million people, all free of charge, according to orders from King Mohammed VI.

While the Moroccan government has been promising vaccinations since earlier this month, the minister said preparations have now reached a “very advanced” stage. He said authorities were carrying out simulations at all the immunization sites “to avoid any obstacles that may arise during the implementation of the vaccination program.”

In a first phase, the vaccine will be administered to medical personnel, public authorities, security services, education workers and people suffering from chronic diseases. The Ministry of Health said it has deployed a computerized system to register the target population and track their health status after they receive the vaccine.

Morocco has said it will start its vaccination program with the Sinopharm vaccine, though it hasn't yet completed advanced trials to prove that it's safe and effective....