On the eighth week of the launch of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, the number of persons who were immunized with the first dose exceeded 86,000, the rate being of 2.5%. At the same time, the number of persons who got the second vaccine dose is of over 10,000. The health authorities said the infection rate continues to decline, but remains high and it is too early to speak about the relaxation of the restrictions introduced earlier, IPN reports.

In a news conference on April 20, Denis Cernelea, secretary of state at the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection, said the vaccination with the second dose of Pfizer and with Sinopharm continues for the second week. The second dose of Astra Zeneca will start to be administered on May 2.

The official noted that the distribution of the 51,500 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine received through the COVAX platform and from the humanitarian aid provided by Romania started today. These vaccines are to be used by end-April. Another about 130,000 doses of vaccine were stored at the National Public Health Agency for being administered as the second dose as from May 2.

A lot of 182,000 doses of Sputnik vaccine are to be supplied to Moldova expectedly at the end of April. Another over 10,000 doses of Pfizer will be shipped to Moldova in the course of June.

As to the Moderna vaccine, the contract proposed for signing envisions the purchase of 1.5 million doses in several lots in 2022, but by considering the possibility of supplying at least a part of the vaccines in the second half of this year. The authorities decided to reduce the number of Sinovac vaccines that are to be bought to 100,000 doses.

According to the Ministry of Health, by April 19 Moldova has got 246,238 infections with the novel coronavirus. The death toll from COVID-19 stands at 5,591. Over 100 of the victims were health workers.