Ljubljana - The government decided on Thursday to donate 612,064 doses of the Janssen Covid-19 vaccine to the COVAX initiative. The vaccine doses, which Slovenia ordered under a joint European public procurement contract and are to be delivered this year, are expected to be shipped on to Africa.

Africa is the continent with the lowest vaccination rates, while hygienic and other conditions, including access to drinking water, make it difficult to effectively combat the pandemic, the government said in a press release after a correspondence meeting.

They added that the planned donation of the vaccine doses to Africa via the COVAX initiative is in line with Slovenia's strategy for international development cooperation and humanitarian aid, which also defines priority geographical areas in that regard.

The government also decided on Thursday to terminate the decision made on 28 September to purchase an additional 100,000 doses of the Janssen vaccine from Hungary.

The government's vaccination advisory group proposed on 7 October that viral vector vaccines, including Janssen, should be used under more limited terms. This followed the death of a 20-year-old girl, who was vaccinated with the Janssen vaccine.

However, Slovenia received almost 80,000 additional doses of the Janssen vaccine by 15 October as part of the regular delivery of vaccine supplies.

As a result, there is no longer a need for more doses of the Janssen vaccine in Slovenia, the Government Communication Office explained.