The 14,400 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines of the first consignment shipped through the COVAX Facility reached the Republic of Moldova in the evening of March 4. The handover event involved President Maia Sandu, EU officials and ambassadors, the U.S. ambassador in Chisinau, IPN reports.
President Maia Sandu said the Republic of Moldova is the first country in Europa that gets vaccines delivered by COVAX. “This thing surely gladdens us. These 14,400 doses of vaccines will go to continue immunizing the medical personnel. We will continue to make effort to bring vaccines for more people so as to save lives and keep the people healthy and to also return to normality as swiftly as possible,” stated President Sandu.
WHO Representative in Moldova Igor Pokanevych said that together with the delivery of this batch, more health workers and the population exposed to a bigger risk could be vaccinated. The pandemic will regrettably last yet and the quick spread of the virus exerts great pressure on the health workers and also on the general population. “The safe and efficient vaccine will be our salvation. Until everyone is vaccinated, we must continue obeying the basic rules – wearing mask, maintaining physical distancing and avoiding crowded places,” stated the official.
UNICEF Representative in Moldova Maha Damaj said the children were also seriously affected by the pandemic and, together with the receipt of the first vaccines, everyone imagines the day when COVID-19 will remain behind. “The children do not form part of the target groups that will be vaccinated against COVID-19. However, through the vaccination of the population, we will protect them too. It is very important that the teachers are also included in the first vaccination groups after health workers so that they prevent the community transmission of the virus and can continue work in classrooms,” stated Maha Damaj.
The Head of the EU Delegation to Moldova Peter Michalko noted that these 14,400 vaccines are an expression of solidity and they will be used to protect frontline health workers. “The EU has doubled its contribution to COVAX and this will help COVAX to ship 1.300 billion doses to 92 countries until the end of this year,” said Peter Michalko. According to him, the EU offered constant assistance in the form of protective equipment, funds for revitalizing the economy and preventing the effects of the pandemic and this support will continue.
U.S. Ambassador in Chisinau Dereck J. Hogan said that these vaccines are extremely important for containing the pandemic and give hope that the better days are closer. “The partnership through these vaccines that got here is one more proof of the commitments of the EU, the United States to the health and prosperity of all the Moldovans. The U.S.’s contribution of over US$2 billion to the COVAX vaccines pillar supports the purchase and delivery to Moldova of safe and efficient vaccines against COVID-19,” stated Dereck J. Hogan.
Germany’s Ambassador to Moldova Angela Ganninger said she is proud that today, through its contribution of over US$2.68 billion, Germany is one of the largest donors of the common effort against COVID-19 and the largest part of the provided resources will be used to purchase and distribute in concert the vaccine through the COVAX Facility. The other resources will be used to diagnose and treat the disease.
Tatiana Zatyk, secretary of state at the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection, said the first consignment of vaccines that was delivered to Moldova through COVAX is very important. She thanked all the partners for their contribution to bringing the vaccine and generating hope that lives will be saved. The vaccination campaign started with the vaccines donated by Romania and the given batch will be used to continue the immunization. Moldova is also waiting for the other batches of vaccines.
COVAX, the vaccines pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator, is co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the World Health Organization – working in partnership with developed and developing country vaccine manufacturers, UNICEF, the World Bank, and others. It is the only global initiative that is working with governments and manufacturers to ensure COVID-19 vaccines are available worldwide to both higher-income and lower-income countries.
