Second shipment of Pfizer vaccines against COVID-19 reach Kinshasa

KINSHASA, 21 OCTOBER 2021 – The second batch of 349,830 Pfizer vaccines has arrived today in the capital Kinshasa.  The doses of Pfizer vaccine are donated by the U.S. government to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) through the COVAX mechanism. These doses are in addition to the various types of vaccine previously received in the country.

The arrival of this second batch of Pfizer vaccines in Kinshasa will reinforce the vaccination efforts against Covid-19 in the DRC.  The Pfizer vaccines will allow the country to expand the range of vaccines available after receiving 250,000 doses of Moderna last September as well as a first batch of 250,000 doses of Pfizer in late September. 

Safe and effective vaccines are our best tool to end the pandemic, and the United States has committed to purchasing and donating 1.1 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses worldwide.  To date, the United States has delivered more than 192,454,650 million doses of vaccine to countries worldwide. The commitment to provide COVID-19 vaccines to 92 Gavi Advance Market Commitment economies and African Union Member States will continue to fulfill U.S. President Biden’s commitment to strengthen the fight against the global pandemic.  The distribution of these vaccines was decided in collaboration with the African Union, Africa CDC and COVAX.

"This shipment provides additional vaccines to fight COVID-19 in the most affected provinces of the country. Such vaccines are safe, effective and they save lives. The Congolese population now has access to different types of vaccines against COVID-19," said Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF Representative in DRC.

These new doses of Pfizer vaccines will be stored in warehouses with the necessary cold chain facilities. The doses will be transported to vaccination sites in the fifteen priority provinces identified by the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI): Equateur, Haut-Katanga, Haut Uele, Ituri, Kasai, Kasai-Oriental, Kinshasa, Kongo-Central, Kwilu, Lualaba, Maniema, North Kivu, South Kivu, South Ubangi, and Tshopo. 

UNICEF is responsible for transportation, organizing mass communication, and strengthening the cold chain in DRC. COVAX is an initiative which is co-led by Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), in partnership with UNICEF as well as the World Bank, civil society organizations, as well as other partners and manufacturers.