Kazakhstan has produced and distributed the first batch of QazVac, the country’s first Covid-19 vaccine. The vaccine has been developed on the basis of the Kazakh Biosafety Research Institute. On Friday April 23rd, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev tweeted about the breaking news.
Vaccine production will be increased to make it available to all citizens. Kazakhstan has become one of the few states that have created their own vaccine. I thank the scientists and all the specialists who participated in its development
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kazakhstan
The first 50,000 doses of the vaccine will be distributed to the SK-Pharmacy hubs and delivered to the regional health management warehouses across the country, while another 50,000 doses are planned to be produced in May. The QazVac vaccination campaign is expected to begin on April 26th. Further production is expected to gradually increase to 500,000-600,000 doses per month.
According to EurActiv, the Director General of the Research Institute for Biological Safety Problems, Kunsulu Zakarya, announced that Kazakhstan’s vaccine had 100% efficacy in the first stage of clinical trials and 96% efficacy in the second stage of clinical trials. The vaccine may be stored at temperatures of between 2 and 8°C, which could allow for easier handling and storage for up to one year in a freezer.
According to the Kazakh Ministry of Healthcare, roughly 820,000 people have been inoculated with the first-dose injection, and 132,603 with both doses of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine. The vaccination campaign started in the country on February 1st.
According to the Johns Hopkins University, the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country have reached 361,575, with 3,512 deaths, and roughly 260,000 people who have recovered.
