The coordinator of the national COVID-19 vaccination campaign Ninel Revenco said they cannot explain why there is such hesitation about using the vaccine proposed for immunization in ATU Gagauzia. Instead of the vaccine proposed now there could be no one. She noted they are hopeful such cases will not repeat and the citizens will realize the importance of immunization, IPN reports.

When asked in a news conference why Gagauzia returned the lot of AstraZeneca vaccine to the Ministry of Health, Ninel Revenco said they permanently urge the local leaders, local public authorities to tell the population that immunization is the only chance of survival, regardless of the type of vaccine. “We are therefore concerned that the message wasn’t delivered to the citizens, to the beneficiaries. Public health at the local level depends on this,” she stated.

According to the functionary, the data show the infection rate decreased and the doctors who got vaccinated in a large number give a relevant example.

Ninel Revenco also said that the number of persons who refuse to be vaccinated is not known, but it is rather a delay due to health or other reasons than refusal. The number of persons who are hesitating has decreased.

Gagauzia returned the whole lot of AstraZeneca vaccines to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection. According to the head of the Comrat Public Health Center Ivan Hasta, the public, including the medical community, since the start showed particular distrust in the vaccine due to the reports about its side effects. Only 50 persons, primarily health workers, have been vaccinated with AstraZeneca. They tried to use the rest of the vaccines to immunize the gropes covered by the second immunization stage of the vaccination campaign – persons older than 60 and persons with comorbidies. But no person expressed readiness to get a vaccine.

As many as 240 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine were transmitted to ATU Gagauzia for immunizing health workers.