TASHKENT, 29 August 2022 – Within COVAX mechanism, Uzbekistan received 201,600 Pfizer COVID-19 pediatric vaccines. This donation by the European Union and Sweden government will contribute to the efforts of the Ministry of Health on the Republic of Uzbekistan to cover children aged 5-11 years and to prevent spread of new strains of COVID-19 disease in the country.

“This pandemic is not over, and it is global. We won’t be safe until everyone is safe, and vaccination remains one of the best way to stay safe. This delivery from Sweden is groundbreaking as it is giving access to vaccination for children from 5 to 11 years old for the first time in Uzbekistan. This is part of European Union’s contribution to global vaccine solidarity. Team Europe* is one of the lead contributors to COVAX, to ensure fair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.”, - underlined Charlotte Adriaen, Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Uzbekistan. 

Given the evolving epidemic situation with the emergence of the new variants of COVID-19 and the peculiarities of its course in children, the vaccination of children against this infection is nowadays worldwide considered appropriate and crucial to curb the pandemic. Vaccination of children against coronavirus infection has already been actively implemented in China, the USA, Canada, Israel, a number of European and Latin American countries.

UNICEF has prioritized equitable distribution of vaccines. As of today, a total of 21.2 million doses of COVID vaccines have been delivered to Uzbekistan through the COVAX facility. Out of this: AZ - 2.15 million; Moderna - 10.68 million, Pfizer 6.62 million and Sinovac 1.77 million doses.

*Team Europe = EU, EU member states and EU financial institutions.