An Armenian private company, Liqvor, began producing the Sputnik Light vaccine recently in line with a licensing agreement reached with its Russian developer.
“We are processing the substance supplied by the Russian side,” Liqvor’s chief executive, Sergei Matevosian, told journalists.
“The [production] volume is as follows: within three working days our company can meet Armenia’s one-year demand,” he said.
Avanesian announced the impending purchase of locally manufactured Sputnik Light vaccines after inspecting the company’s production facilities together with Economy Minister Vahan Kerobian.
“We will at first be carrying out that for booster shots,” Avanesian told a news conference held at Liqvor’s premises. She said they will be offered to individuals who received the second dose of a vaccine at least six months ago.
Armenia’s policlinics and other vaccination centers are now mostly using vaccines developed and manufactured by the U.S. biotech company Moderna and the Anglo-Swedish drug maker AstraZeneca.
The Armenian government is gearing up for revaccination against COVID-19 despite the country’s low vaccination rate.
According to the Ministry of Health, only about 517,000 people making up roughly one-fifth of its population have been fully vaccinated to date. About 320,000 others have received one dose of a vaccine.
The immunization process has accelerated in recent weeks following the government’s decision to require virtually all workers to get inoculated or take coronavirus tests twice a month at their own expense.
Officials and health experts say this is one of the reasons for a significant drop in coronavirus infections and deaths caused by them in Armenia.
The Ministry of Health registered only 95 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, sharply down from over 2,000 cases a day routinely recorded in late October and early November.
“We must do everything to maintain these decreased numbers,” said Avanesian.
The minister again defended her government-backed decision to introduce on January 1 a mandatory health pass for entry to cultural and leisure sites. Only those people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 or have had a recent negative test will be allowed to visit bars, restaurants, concert halls and other public venues.