ASHGABAT (TCA) — Small batches of Pfizer and Sputnik V vaccines against COVID-19 have been delivered to Turkmenistan from Russia and Germany by Turkmen planes, independent foreign-based news website Chronicles of Turkmenistan reported.
Purchasing large batches is not planned as there are not funds in the state budget to vaccinate residents en masse, the website reported.
There is a shortage of equipment and qualified specialists in Turkmenistan who can certify these vaccines. Local healthcare practitioners fear that they will not be capable of responding to potential side effects of the vaccines.
Authorities in Turkmenistan continue to insist there are no coronavirus infections in the tightly-controlled country.
Turkmen News reported on January 7 that an airplane operated by Turkmenistan Airlines had flown to Germany three times in the past six months. The purpose of the trips was transporting German doctors to Ashgabat.
On 20 October 2020, Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov instructed “to purchase novel high quality COVID-19 vaccines produced in different countries”.
On 25 December 2020, the Deputy Healthcare Minister of the Russian Federation Aleksandra Dronova met with a delegation of Turkmenistan headed by Deputy Minister of Healthcare Berdyniyaz Myatiev. Based on the results of negotiations Turkmenistan expressed interest in purchasing the Russian coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V.
Source: TCA
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