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. 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.

His ministry said Friday that Morocco has not yet received the vaccines.

Mustapha Ennaji Moulay, head of the virology department at the Hassan II University in Casablanca and a member of the government's COVID-19 scientific committee, said that regulators are reviewing the Sinopharm vaccine's documentation, and that the vaccination program is expected to begin in the coming days.

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...