Morocco approves AstraZeneca/Oxford virus jab

A box of AstraZeneca/Oxford Covid-19 vaccine vials are pictured at the Pontcae Medical Practice in Merthyr Tydfil in south Wales on January 4, 2021. (AFP)

• It says preparations for rolling out the vaccine are “very advanced” but has not given a date for injections to start
• The government says it has ordered 65 million doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccines as well as from the Chinese firm Sinopharm

RABAT: Rabat, Jan 6, 2021 Agence France Presse: Morocco on Wednesday authorized for emergency use the coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, the health ministry said.
The North African nation, with some 35 million people, has recorded over 447,000 Covid-19 cases including 7,618 deaths, according to the latest official count.
The government says it has ordered 65 million doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccines as well as from the Chinese firm Sinopharm.
It says preparations for rolling out the vaccine are “very advanced” but has not given a date for injections to start.
The authorities re-imposed a nationwide curfew and other restrictive measures on December 21 in a bid to slow the spread of the virus.