Moldova could start administering a third dose of coronavirus vaccines in December, with the first to receive the booster shots being health care workers. The National Immunization Steering Committee is examining the start dates and the combinations to be used depending on the first two doses. This has been announced by Health Minister Ala Nemerenco in Parliament, as lawmakers were debating a bill to reserve special illness benefits only to vaccinated health care workers.

Nemerenco noted that 91% of the health care workers, including non-medical personnel, received at least one dose, and slightly more than 86% were administered two doses. Considering that health care workers were the first to be immunized when the vaccination campaign started in March, the administration of the third dose will also begin with them.

Next week has been designated as the Vaccination Week and Ala Nemerenco says that efforts will be made to raise public awareness and promote Covid vaccination, including with the involvement of mobile teams.

The adopted bill states that unvaccinated health care workers will not be entitled to lump-sum benefits of 16,000 lei in case they become infected, and their families will not be able to receive a 100,000 lei payout in case of their death.

Since the beginning of the vaccination campaign, 1.4 million doses have been administered. To date, more than 321,000 coronavirus cases have been reported in Moldova as more than 7,300 people died.