Moldova receives 50,310 doses of Pfizer -BioNTech vaccine

Chisinau, 20 May /MOLDPRES/ - Moldova today received 50,310 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, delivered for free through the COVAX platform,  - a partnership between the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the Vaccine Alliance (GAVI), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO). At the same time, on 21 May, another 50,310 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are to be brought to Moldova; thus, it is about 100, 620 doses of vaccines in all.    

According to the Health, Labour and Social Protection Ministry (MSMPS), the deliveries through the COVAX platform will continue on the days to come with 45,600 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine, which will be shipped on 24 May.  

The vaccines will be preserved at the warehouse of the National Public Health Agency (ANSP) and are to be distributed proportionally to all vaccination centres of Moldova, so that all categories of residents are immunized.

The immunization campaign started on 2 March 2021 and 264,380 people have been vaccinated so far. On 18 May, the National Committee on Coordination of Immunization ruled to fully launch the third stage of anti-COVID-19 vaccination. Thus, all people willing to get vaccinated against the new virus have access to vaccine at all vaccination centres of Moldova. People are urged to appeal to the family physician and schedule for vaccination through the www.vaccinare.gov.md platform.   

Pfizer is mRNA vaccine and is authorized for use in more states, among which the United States, Canada, EU member states, United Kingdom. The vaccine was pre-qualified by WHO and approved by the European Medicines Agency. According to clinic studies, the vaccine’s efficiency was estimated at 92 per cent for the infection SARS-CoV-2, 94 per cent for symptomatic COVID-19, 92 per cent for severe forms and 87 per cent for the people with COVID-19, who needed hospitalization.    

Moldova was the first country of Europe to receive doses of anti-COVID-19 vaccine through the COVAX Platform. As many as 86,970 vaccine doses, delivered by COVAX (24,570 Pfizer-BioNTech and 62,400 AstraZeneca) have been earlier received.    

The COVAX mechanism is led by the Vaccine Alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and WHO, along with UNICEF, which is leader of purchases and supplies of vaccines. This is the only global initiative working with the governments and producers, in order to make sure that the COVID-19 vaccines are available all over the world, both for the countries with high incomes and the ones with lower incomes.   

At a meeting on 19 May, the acting government approved a draft decision, which provides for the negotiation by MSMPS and ordering of a consignment of 700,000 doses of anti-Covid-19 vaccine produced by the BioNTech/Pfizer Company. Under the document, the batch of vaccines for the population’s immunization is to be supplied to Moldova in September-October this year.   

photo: MSMPS