The Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19 has disclosed that Malawi has used all AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines that were due for expiry on December 31, 2021.

The Taskforce’s co-chairperson Khumbize Chiponda has told a media briefing Thursday morning in Lilongwe that the country has now 700,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson in all the districts.

She said: “I am also very pleased to inform Malawians that because of the intensified efforts by our health care workers, who continue to bring the vaccines to the people where they live.”

“Even during this holiday season, and also your response to our vaccination efforts, the AstraZeneca doses that were to expire on December 31, 2021 have all been used up by today.”

Chiponda added that in the next three months of 2022, the country will have stocks of AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer vaccines.

“Malawi at present has J&J vaccines nearly 700,000 doses, 400,000 doses of Pfizer vaccines. We are expecting 388,000 doses of J & J, 396,000 doses of AstraZeneca as well as 71 4,000 doses of Pfizer within the first quarter of 2022,” she said.

“Also be informed that all our districts are currently stocked with adequate amounts of J & J on top of AstraZeneca for all eligible persons that have never been vaccinated.”

Meanwhile, the Taskforce says will, from January 1, 2022, start administering Pfizer vaccines to teenagers in the age ranges of 12 to 17 years.

According to the Taskforce, Malawi’s average weekly positivity rate has increased from 25.7 percent in the previous week to 41 .2 percent during the week in question.