Ethiopia Receives 300,000 Doses of COVID 19 Vaccine from China

ADDIS ABABA – China has donated 300,000 doses of Sinopharm COVID 19 vaccine for Ethiopia, taking the total of doses Addis Ababa received from Beijing to more than a million.

“These doses of Sinopharm vaccine will further strengthen our effort to mitigate the Covid 19 pandemic,” Dr. Lia Tadesse, Ethiopia’s health minister, after receiving the vaccines on Monday.

The minister also said the vaccines will improve the country’s immunisation campaign to access more vulnerable groups and essential workers like teachers.

Dr. Lia attended the handover program along with the Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia, Zhao Zhiyuan, at Bole International airport on Monday morning.

Ambassador Zhiyuan said the latest support would renew the commitment of China to support Ethiopia in fighting the pandemic until it is over.

Health minister Dr. Lia also expressed her “sincere gratitude and appreciation for the continued support and generosity” of the Government of China and its people for their continued support.

As of Sunday evening, Ethiopia has administered at least 2,343,609 doses of COVID vaccines.
There have been 295,804 infections and 4,561 coronavirus-related deaths reported in the country since the pandemic began.

 

Featured Image: Ethiopian Airlines cargo service has delivered the vaccines on Monday morning [Photo MoH]