Following outrage among Palestinians, PA cancels scandalous Pfizer doses swap
In a vaccine swap scandal, the Palestinian Authority would receive 1 Million expired doses in return for new ones, which would be sent to 'Israel'
Ramallah (QNN)- The Palestinian Authority’s Prime Minister, Muhammad Ishtayyeh, instructed the Minister of Health, Mai Keileh, to cancel a Pfizer vaccine doses swap deal with the occupation state after it has sparked outrage among Palestinians.
During a press conference, the spokesperson of the government, Ibrahim Melhem, said the Ministry of Health examines the vaccine doses and found out that they have expired this June, which violates the deal, which was reached between the PA and ‘Israel’, and mediated by Pfizer firm.
The Minister of Health, Mai Keileh, has said in an urgent press conference in Ramallah today that specialized crews examined the vaccine doses and found that they don’t match specifications and metrics, and that’s why the government decided to send them back.
Keileh stressed that the deal was made with Pfizer firm and that the doses were not a donation from the occupation state. She added that the doses were supposed to expire in the next July or August.
Reports about transferring up to 1.4 million doses of soon-to-expire Pfizer -BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine to the Palestinian Authority, in return for an identical quantity the Palestinians expect to receive later this year, had sparked outrage among Palestinians.
The Israeli prime minister, Naftali Bennett, said Friday the swap was approved because the occupation state has a sufficient supply of vaccines to meet current needs.
Israel has faced criticism that it has been working hard to deny native Palestinians access to the vaccine.
About 55% of Israelis have been given both doses as part of a mass vaccination campaign after the occupation state obtained millions of doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
Meanwhile,only 1% of Palestinians in the West Bank have received the vaccination, according to the Ministry of Health.
