White Signs Memorandum of Understanding to Secure Influenza Vaccine for Lebanon

The Minister of Public Health in the caretaker government, Firas Abiad, signed a memorandum of understanding with the World Health Organization's Task Force for Global Health, represented by the Director of the Partnership for Influenza Vaccine Innovation (PIVI), Joseph Bresee. The memorandum paves the way for Lebanon to become a member of the partnership initiative and one of the 24 beneficiary countries for securing and supporting the PIVI influenza vaccine. This support will help provide vaccines ahead of each annual influenza season over the next five years. Abiad expressed his appreciation for the support and cooperation Lebanon receives from the World Health Organization, stating: "There is no doubt that amid this unprecedented economic crisis that Lebanon is experiencing, and the difficult working conditions we face with scarce material and human resources, we could not have succeeded alone in providing the required level of preparedness and emergency response without our partners, foremost among them the World Health Organization."