The immunization against COVID-19 in North Macedonia is going well. I’m once again calling on citizens to apply for vaccination at vakcinacija.mk. Some 150,000 citizens have registered for inoculation thus far, Health Minister Venko Filipche said on Friday.
He added that there are some 5,000 doses left of the AstraZeneca jab. In addition, 5,000 Pfizer shots will be distributed across the country so the vaccination process can take place uninterrupted. The supply of Sputnik jabs is also almost depleted.
“Half of our supply of the Sinopharm vaccine, which we received as donation from the United Arab Emirates, has been used. Meanwhile, Pfizer gave us a schedule of vaccines arrivals in May. Every Monday some 5,000-7,000 of the total of 26,000 vaccines will be delivered to North Macedonia and distributed across the country,” Filipche briefed.
He stressed that a total of 200,000 Sinopharm jabs are expected to arrive in North Macedonia around April 28 and distributed across the country to be administered to people who have registered for immunization via the website vakcinacija.mk. Their delivery, however, the Minister added, overlaps with the Easter holidays.
“Inoculation with this vaccine will start on Tuesday, right after Easter. By then, all vaccination sites in six cities across North Macedonia will be ready,” Minister Filipche told reporters at the vaccination site within the Boris Trajkovski sports hall in Skopje, where lawmakers are being vaccinated on Friday.
MPs, he noted, have been divided in three groups and will be administered the Sputnik jab.
Moreover, nationals who have registered for inoculation will be vaccinated by age groups, Filipche told reporters.
“Many citizens suffer from chronic illnesses and therefore vaccination will take place by age groups. I’m calling on people to apply for inoculation and they will get immunized right after Easter, once the big batch of Sinopharm jabs is delivered,” he said.
In response to a reporter’s question regarding which vaccine will be administered to people suffering from allergies, the Minister noted that more vaccines will be available nationwide come May.
“There hasn’t been an indication of side effects from any vaccine, except from the AstraZeneca jab administered to people under 60. However, when applicants arrive to their vaccination appointment they discuss their medical histories with health workers. So, there hasn’t been a contraindication to any previous condition registered in vaccines set to be delivered to North Macedonia, but doctors are available for consultation,” Filipche underlined.
