Today’s meeting between the Prime Minister and healthcare experts, at the Administration of the Government, discussed preparations for vaccination and the process of supplying the country with vaccines.

The meeting emphasized that vaccination, in combination with observance of applicable restrictions and regulations, is a vitally important way for defeating COVID-19, and the country is actively preparing for this process. The national vaccination plan, which is already in place, seeks to vaccinate 60% of the population by the end of this year, with relevant steps under the plan already launched.

The authorities are working actively in a number of directions to enable Georgia to access vaccines from alternative sources, alongside the COVAX platform. The meeting reiterated official permit from the World Health Organization and international recognition as the key prerequisites for importing vaccines.

The experts underlined the challenges linked to the production and demand on vaccines globally, with delays in the process of vaccination, including in the EU.

Giorgi Gakharia once again urged relevant institutions to continue intensive work toward securing all conditions, including logistics, for the country to start vaccinating immediately after the delivery of the first doses.

The meeting was attended by Georgia"s First Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Regi0onal Development and Infrastructure Maya Tskitishvili, Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze, and Finance Minister Ivane Machavariani. The discussion"s participants included Director Amiran Gamkrelidze and Deputy Director Paata Imnadze of the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, allergist/immunologist Bidzina Kulumbegov, and Giorgi Gotsadze, President of the International Foundation Curatio. Zaza Tsereteli, Senior Advisor at the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Health, joined the meeting online.