DILI, 29 june 2021 (TATOLI) – Timor-Leste’s Medical and Pharmaceutical Supply Agency (SAMES) had distributed more than 20.000 doses of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine to all Sinovac vaccination centers across capital Dili.
The Executive Director of Timor-Leste’s Medical and Pharmaceutical Supply Agency (SAMES), Santana Martins informed that of the 100.000 doses of the Sinovac vaccine, 50.000 doses would be distributed to the vaccination centers.
“Based on the policy of the Ministry of Health, the distribution of the Sinovac vaccine doses is only in the capital Dili. So, we continue distributing the Sinovac vaccine doses to the immunization centers in Dili. According to the decision of the government, 50.000 doses of the Sinovac vaccine were reserved for the second dose,” Martins told reporters at the Ministry of Finance, in Dili, today.
He said on june 10, the Ministry of Health would begin launching the second dose of the Sinovac vaccine.
Martins said the Sinovac vaccine would expire in 2023, saying therefore the communities no need to worry about the administration timeline of the first dose of the Sinovac Vaccine.
In addition, Martnis said all of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine doses had been distributed to all municipalities, including RAEOA: “Now we don’t have doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine left in SAMES’s stock.”
Martins emphasized that on june 30, Timor-Leste would receive a 65.000-first dose and a 70.000-second dose of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine from the government of Australia.
“Once we receive the vaccines from the Australian Government tomorrow, we will immediately organize the distribution of the vaccines to the Dili municipality,” said Martins.
He said SAMES was only responsible for the distribution of the vaccines to the municipalities, but not to the Administrative post and villages: “We do it a bit differently in Dili, such as we distribute the vaccines directly to the immunization centers across capital Dili, as we have many communities live in Dili.”
Apart from COVID-19 vaccines, SAMES has 452 items of medicines in SAMES’ stock.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Rafy Belo
