MINSK, 11 February (BelTA) – Coronavirus vaccines will be distributed in Belarus free of charge, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he addressed the 6th Belarusian People's Congress in Minsk on 11 February, BelTA has learned.
“I think it is vitally important to vaccinate residents of Belarus free of charge, which we are doing right now,” the head of state said.
The president assured that Belarus will definitely develop its own vaccine, but for now there are agreements on the supply of Russian and Chinese vaccines. Moreover, there is an agreement to manufacture these vaccines in Belarus.
“Our scientists will create a vaccine. This will be done not only for the purpose of protecting people now. A Russian vaccine will be produced in Belarus for this purpose. We have realized that this infection – not necessarily COVID, but some kind of swine, bird flu - will reappear, and we will have to confront it in the future. Therefore, developing a vaccine against COVID today we are creating a groundwork for the future. It will come in handy in this crazy world. You must understand that it costs a lot of money. However, unless we do it today, we will pay ten times more to purchase vaccines from other countries in the future,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
