Since the start of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Moldova on March 2, over 50,000 persons have been immunized, Alexei Ceban, epidemiologist of the National Public Health Agency, told a news conference on April 6. There were immunized 57% of the health workers. All the Pfiser vaccines, the first dose, were administered. The 942 doses of Pfizer vaccine intended for the Transnistrian region was distributed today, IPN reports.
Over 12,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine were stored at the National Public Health Agency for immunizing the persons with the second dose. 36,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine stored at the Agency are to be distributed to national vaccination centers the coming days, stated Alexei Ceban.
Within the second immunization stage, there were vaccinated over 11,000 persons with chronic diseases, persons older than 60, employees of the education, security and social assistance sectors.
A new lot of COVID-19 vaccines is expected to arrive in Chisinau in the middle or at the end of April.
Ninel Revenco, coordinator of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, said the European Medicines Agency concluded that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccines are much greater that the side effects and the number of infections and deaths in the countries that administered the vaccine decreased significantly.
Epidemiologist Laura Țurcan said the Ministry of Health until now reported 957 adverse events after immunization and 75% of these were mild ones, such as fever under 38 degrees Celsius, weakness, muscle pain and joint pain. The moderate events are similar, but more pronounced. There was reported no case of anaphylactic shock or serious allergic reactions. All the reactions appeared within 24 hours of the vaccination and lasted for one to three days.
Acceding to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection, another 703 cases of COVID were recorded in Moldova on April 5, taking the total number to 235,790. Of the 3,931 infected patients who are now hospitalized, 322 are in a very serious state and 55 of them were put on a ventilator. Also yesterday, 42 persons succumbed to COVID-19.