The Minister of Health of Montenegro, Kenan Hrapović, signed an agreement under which the country will receive guaranteed doses of the COVID-19 vaccine after its production. Montenegro will pay 8.84 euros per dose.
The estimated cost of the purchase is about 2,163,000 euros. The advance payment amounted to 646,000 euros.
The minister explained that by signing this agreement, Montenegro joined the COVAX mechanism for COVID-19 vaccines, which was initiated by the WHO with the aim of ensuring the procurement and fair distribution of vaccines among member countries.
The initiative was supported by the European Commission and numerous relevant international organizations.
COVAX has more than 170 countries participating worldwide. By joining this initiative, Montenegro will have the opportunity to take part in vaccine distribution at the same time as other countries.
According to research conducted by the Institute of Public Health, Montenegro indicated a need for 248,800 doses, which is enough to cover 20% of the population.