New shipment of COVID-19 vaccines donated by China arrives in Tunisia

A new shipment of 1.5 million doses of China-aided COVID-19 vaccines arrived in Tunisia on Feb 22, to help Tunisia fight the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Chinese Ambassador to Tunisia Zhang Jianguo and Tunisian Health Minister Ali Mrabet signed a handover document at the airport.

Zhang said China and Tunisia are good partners who help each other on the road of development and are also good friends who support each other in international affairs.

In November 2021, China announced at the opening ceremony of the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation that it will provide another 1 billion doses of vaccines to Africa, including 600 million doses as a donation.

Within less than three months after the conference, China produced and delivered a new shipment of vaccines to Tunisia to support the country's emergency response to the Omicron vibrant, the ambassador said.

Mrabet thanked China for its help. China donated the first shipment of vaccines to Tunisia on March 2021, as the first country to offer vaccines to Tunisia.

The Chinese vaccine, which is safe and effective with few side effects, has become one of the most used vaccines in Tunisia, and it has made an important contribution to Tunisia's 60-percent vaccination target.

He said that Chinese citizens in Tunisia also enjoy Tunisian national treatment and can have a booster shot. They can obtain a Tunisian "vaccine pass" with a valid COVID-19 vaccination certificate, which is convenient for working and living in Tunisia.

In addition, two Chinese vaccines have obtained temporary marketing licenses and one has obtained clinical trial approval. We look forward to strengthening cooperation with China in the research and development of vaccines and specific drugs, the minister said.

Chinese-aided injection syringes will arrive in Tunisia on Feb 24.