A shipment of 250,380 Pfizer doses donated by the United States has arrived in DRC to strengthen vaccination against COVID-19

KINSHASA, SEPTEMBER 23, 2021 - The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has just received 250,380 doses of Pfizer vaccines donated by the U.S. government through the COVAX mechanism. These doses are in addition to the various types of vaccines previously received in the country.

"This shipment provides additional access to safe and effective vaccines, helping to increase the confidence of the Congolese population in the COVID-19 vaccination campaign," said Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF Representative in DRC.

These new doses of Pfizer vaccines will be stored in Kinshasa before being transported to vaccination sites in the fifteen priority provinces identified by the national Expanded Program on Immunization (Programme Elargi de Vaccination, PEV): Equateur, Haut-Katanga, Haut Uele, Ituri, Kasai, Kasai-Oriental, Kinshasa, Kongo-Central, Kwilu, Lualaba, Maniema, North Kivu, South Kivu, South Ubangi and Tshopo. Health authorities will be able to use these doses until the end of January 2022.

UNICEF is facilitating transportation, organizing mass communication, and strengthening the cold chain in DRC. The COVAX initiative 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, manufacturers, and other partners.

A few weeks ago, 250,000 doses of Moderna vaccine donated by the U.S. government were shipped to the DRC. These donations are part of the Biden-Harris administration's efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. has committed to providing Africa with at least 15 million of the 80 million doses to be distributed globally. The distribution of these vaccines was decided in collaboration with the African Union, Africa CDC and COVAX.

UNICEF is supporting the PEV to reach communities in the country with Pfizer doses as well as Moderna doses received last September 6 in Kinshasa.