The first 21,600 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines against COVID-19 got to Chisinau on February 27, representing a donation from Romania. In the welcoming ceremony at the Chisinau International Airport, President Maia Sandu thanked the partners for this assistance, noting the vaccination is to start on March 1, IPN reports.



“This first batch is very important for us as it will be used to vaccinate frontline health workers. This vaccine will save lives and this is very important. The vaccine will keep the doctors healthy and they could further help us. On this occasion, I evidently thank a lot the medical personnel, doctors, doctor’s assistants for what they do,” stated Maia Sandu. She called again on the citizens to be vigilant and to obey the rules so as to avoid a rise in infections as that witnessed the past few weeks.

Romania’s Ambassador in Chisinau Daniel Ioniță noted the 21,600 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines represent the first consignment of up to 200,000 doses that Romania will offer to the Moldovan citizens in humanitarian aid. “Not accidentally, the Government of Romania adopted a Government decision by which it operationalized this donation on Dragobete, which is Lovers’ Day. Not accidentally, before Martsishor, we came with this present for you as we want this to be first of all a symbolic present, primarily for your doctors – these great people who during over a year have been exposed to enormous risk,” said Daniel Ioniță.



The Head of the EU Delegation to Moldova Peter Michalko stated the donation from Romania was delivered through the agency of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. The event shows how strong the EU’s and the EU Member States’ solidity is.

Tatiana Zatyk, secretary of state at the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection, said the vaccines will be kept at the National Public Health Agency’s storehouse by observing the storage conditions of +2 to +8 degrees Celsius. Between February 28 and March 3, another 14,400 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines are to be delivered to Chisinau through the COVAX platform.

The COVID-19 vaccination starts with the healthcare workers and will continue with employees of ministries, the presidential administration and other public institutions and also the journalists.