Morocco’s Vaccine Supply in Question as Mass Vaccination Campaign Continues

The vaccination committee is confident in the sufficient availability of the two vaccines (AstraZeneca and Sinopharm) currently used as part of the Covid-19 vaccination campaign in Morocco. But for some observers, who fear a vaccine shortage, it would be more reassuring to diversify the vaccine offer. The director of the Biotechnology Laboratory of the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Rabat, Azzedine Ibrahimi, for example suggests obtaining the Russian "Sputnik V" vaccine which, according to him, "has demonstrated its safety and efficacy", or the American "Moderna" vaccine.

Even before the start of the vaccination campaign, the Minister of Health, Khalid Ait Taleb, was leaning towards the choice of the Russian vaccine and was even considering the possibility of producing it locally in Morocco. But since then, radio silence. "No discussion has focused on the Russian vaccine [...] but once the decision is made, it will be announced by the supervisory ministry," said Professor Yahia Cherrah, a member of the committee in charge of the anti-Covid vaccination strategy, who adds that "65 million doses of the AstraZeneca and Sinopharm vaccines have already been ordered and there is no reason to add another one."

Regarding the hypothesis of a shortage, the professor explains that it "was already planned and considered even before the launch of the campaign," acknowledging, however, that "we are currently facing tight deliveries in Morocco, because global production is unable to keep up. And it will be like this until the end of the vaccination campaign." But he reassures that everything will be done to reach the set objective of vaccinating 80% of the population.

"Our country is very lucky to have been able to vaccinate more than 10% of its population, far ahead of many other developed countries. The vaccination campaign in Morocco has been and still is an example for many other countries in the world," Samir Machour, vice president at Samsung Biologics, said recently, warning, however, that "the next few weeks and months will be difficult."