Azerbaijan shows best results in COVID-19 vaccination in South Caucasus, Central Asia

By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan has gained the best results in the COVID-19 vaccination process of the population in the South Caucasus and Central Asia, Center for Economic and Social Development Senior Researcher Emin Mammadov said.

He made the remarks during the 6th CAREC Think Tank Development Forum on “Recalibrating Growth Dynamics for Inclusive and Sustainable Economies”, Azernews reports per Trend.

"More than 80 percent of the population of our country has already been vaccinated with at least two doses of the vaccine," he said.

He also stressed that Azerbaijan has provided great support to countries in need of the vaccine by donating hundreds of thousands of vaccine doses to them.

Moreover, Emin Mammadov noted that the majority (54 percent) of COVID-19 cases in the country have been recorded among women.

He recalled that six months after the announcement of quarantine mode in Azerbaijan, 11 modular hospitals for the treatment of patients with COVID-19 were built.

“The country also promptly opened enterprises for the production of virus protection and hygiene means, which later have been also exported,” he said.

On February 28, 2020, the country confirmed its first COVID-19 case. On March 25, the country implemented a special quarantine mode and implemented a number of measures to combat COVID-19 in the country.

Vaccination has been carried out in Azerbaijan since January 18, 2021, and it is still being carried out successfully. The epidemiological situation in Azerbaijan remains stable due to the active participation of the population in vaccination. The nationwide vaccination is free and voluntary, and it is in accordance with the "Vaccination Strategy Against COVID-19 in Azerbaijan for 2021-2022".

The country began vaccinating citizens with China's Sinovac on January 18, AstraZeneca's Vaxzevria vaccine on May 3, Russia's Sputnik V on May 18, and Pfizer from the United States on June 7. From May 10, the country began offering COVID-19 vaccination to citizens over the age of 18.

Later on, Azerbaijan began issuing vaccination exemption certificates to citizens, who have contraindications to coronavirus vaccines approved for use in the country.