Tunisia opts for Russian Sputnik V as COVID-19 cases spike

Tunisian President Kais Saied has instructed the Foreign ministry and the ministry of Health to negotiate the acquisition of Russia-made covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V as the country reels with an increase in coronavirus cases.

Saied, reports say, gave the instruction during a recent meeting on the situation of the pandemic in the North African country.

Tunisia Sunday registered 3,074 new cases bringing the infection toll to 162,350 and 69 fatalities  – 5,284 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic in February.

Faouzi Mehdi, minister of health is expected to have talks with Russian envoy to the North African country about  the acquisition of the Russian vaccine financed by the Russian investment fund.

Sputnik V is considered more than 95 per cent efficient on the 42nd day after the second dose injection.

Russia was the first country in the world to have announced in August the discovery of a vaccine for the respiratory disease.

Tunisia has also signed up for vaccines from Pfizer and BioNTech laboratories.