The campaign to immunize the population against seasonal flu has started. The authorities announced that they bought 30,000 shots produced in France, while another 130,000 shots donated by the U.S. Center for Vaccine Equity will reach Moldova in the immediate period. According to the National Public Health Agency, no cases of flu have been yet reported.

Ștefan Gheorghiță, head of the Epidemiological Surveillance Division, has told IPN that the 30,000 shots cost over 3.5 million lei. At the end of last week, the vaccines started to be distributed to local medical institutions.

The flu vaccine is administered primarily to persons who face an increased risk of catching the disease, such as children with chronic diseases, pregnant women, persons with disabilities and elderly people from old people’s homes, personnel of children’s homes, boarding schools, institutions for elderly people and persons with disabilities. Afterward, there are vaccinated persons with chronic diseases, health professionals, employees of the carabineer troops and border guards, etc. Those who do not form part of the target groups can go to the family doctor and make a request and will also be immunized for free.

Before being vaccinated, the patients should have an objective medical examination. The persons with reactions to any of the vaccine components and those who suffer from acute or severe chronic diseases, with fever, those with uncontrolled epilepsy or with another progressive nervous system disease cannot be immunized.

A number of 557 cases of flu were reported during the 2017-2018 flu season. Four persons died.