Anti- Covid vaccines provided through the COVAX mechanism are expected to arrive in Albania within February. So far, in addition to COVAX, Albania is also getting vaccines through an agreement with Pfizer.
This information was made public on Monday by the Health Minister, Ogerta Manastirliu who announced that the first group of some hundreds of medical staff of the COVID hospitals in Tirana had been vaccinated.
As it was implied by the Minister the vaccination process has been halted because there are no more anti- Covid vaccines.
“We have started vaccination with more than 500 doctors and nurses of COVID hospitals and the vaccination will continue, as we have guaranteed the continuation of the supply of vaccine doses through the contract with Pfizer and also through COVAX to which we have prepaid 4 million dollars. The first supplies are expected to arrive in February,” she said.
Further on the Minister said vaccination is one more weapon to defeat this virus, but in parallel it should be continued with increased vigilance in order to control the situation of the epidemic in the country.
According to Manastirliu, although Albania has had a steady increase in Covid cases, the institutions are on increased alert due to the situation in Europe of cases of the new variant of the coronavirus. “We continue to be on increased alert as the increased number of cases. Although it is a steady increase the situation puts us on increased vigilance. But the same vigilance is required by citizens. The war is still going on and we are still in the middle of the battle,” she warned.
Rapid anti-gene tests have been operating in the country for two months. In 51 test points throughout Albania, 55,000 fast tests were performed. /argumentum.al
