Spain to receive 1st batch of Moderna vaccine in 7-10 days: Health Minister

Spain will receive the first batch of the coronavirus vaccine developed by US pharmaceutical company Moderna in 7-10 days, Spanish Health Minister Salvador Illa said on Thursday.

Spain will receive the first batch of the coronavirus vaccine developed by US pharmaceutical company Moderna in 7-10 days, Spsh Health Minister Salvador Illa said on Thursday.

On Wednesday, the European Commission authorised the Moderna vaccine, which became the second COVID-19 vaccine approved by the bloc following the authorisation of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. The contract, signed in November, envisages the purchase by the EU of up to 160 million doses. Spain is expected to receive 16-17 million doses, which will be enough to vaccinate 8-8.5 million people since the vaccine is injected twice. The population of the country is 47 million.

"According to the information provided by the company, in the next 7-10 days, we will start receiving doses of this vaccine ... The signed contracts prescribe that in the next six weeks we will receive 600,000 doses," Illa said at a press conference.

Moderna will become the second COVID-19 vaccine available to Spain. The authorities have so far distributed 744,000 doses of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine among various autonomous communities, but the vaccination process is slow and just over 139,000 vaccinations have been made since December 27.

The country's vaccination process is divided into four stages: during the first one, the vaccine will be given to residents and staff of nursing homes and facilities for handicapped people as well as medical personnel. (/Sputnik)

( With inputs from ANI )