Lebanon is expected to sign a deal this week for supplies of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine and is set to receive the first batch eight weeks after that, the caretaker health minister said. Lebanon, with an estimated population of 6 million, has reported 1,210 deaths as a result of COVID-19. "We removed this obstacle," the minister said, adding that the first batch of vaccines was expected to arrive eight weeks after the signing. Lebanon has also signed up to join COVAX, a global scheme backed by the World Health Organization to provide vaccines to poorer countries. He urged UN agencies and non-governmental organisations to help secure more vaccines for Lebanon, where refugees make up at least a quarter of the population.

Source: bd News24 December 15, 2020 12:00 UTC