The next consignment of 100,000 shots for immunizing the population against influenza reached the country. Of these, 85,000 doses estimated at US$ 550,000 were donated by the CVE-Task Force for Global Health of the United States. According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection, it purchased additionally 15,000 flu shots to the value of US$83,000 with funds of the National Health Insurance Company, through the agency of UNICEF, IPN reports.

The flu vaccines were certified by the World Health Organization and are to be distributed to primary medical institutions that will organize the process of vaccinating persons from high-risk groups. Vaccines will be primarily administered to persons with chronic diseases, pregnant women, children from orphanages, elderly person from old people’s homes, healthcare workers, employees of the police force, the Carabineer Department, the Civil Protection and Emergency Service, social assistance institutions and other categories of persons, on the recommendation of the family doctor.

A number of 200,000 doses of flu shots have been distributed so far to national health facilities.