Senegal pays $3.7 mln for 200,000 doses of China's Sinopharm vaccine

DAKAR: Senegal has paid a little over 2 billion CFA francs ($3.72 million) - or nearly $19 per shot - for 200,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by China's Sinopharm, a finance ministry spokesman told Reuters on Friday.

African nations are struggling to source vaccines in the face of a global scramble for doses. Coverage secured through African Union (AU) and World Health Organization-backed (WHO) schemes so far falls short of the continent's needs.

Senegal said in January it was in talks to buy the Chinese vaccine. Finance ministry spokesman Balle Preira confirmed the cost of the shots, which will cover only a fraction of its population of 16 million, without giving further details.

As a lower-middle income country, Senegal is eligible for around 1.3 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines for free in the first wave of disbursement from the WHO's COVAX scheme.

Separately, the AU says it has secured roughly 670 million shots for the continent. Senegal is eligible to get 3.4 million vaccines for just under $23 million under the plan.

Those include over 620,000 doses of the Pfizer Inc two-shot vaccine at $6.75 per shot, more than 1.2 million of AstraZeneca's two-shot vaccine at $3 each, and nearly 1.5 million of Johnson & Johnson's single-shot vaccine at $10 each.

Senegal's President Macky Sall said this week he aims to start a vaccination campaign by the end of February. The West African nation has recorded about 30,000 cases and 735 deaths from COVID-19 so far.

Despite a relatively late start compared to western vaccine producers, China is ramping up efforts to globally distribute its vaccines.

Chinese and African officials have announced a raft of relatively small vaccine donations to countries, including Equatorial Guinea, Guinea and Congo Republic in recent weeks in what some interpret as an attempt by Beijing to cultivate good will.

Zimbabwe said earlier this week it had purchased 600,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine following an initial donation of 200,000 shots. It did not disclose the cost of the deal.