We have already applied at the World Health Organization COVAX Facility to have access to COVID-19 vaccines like all other countries in the region, to cover 20% of the population, Health Minister Venko Filipche told Kanal 5 TV.

Once the COVID-19 vaccine is available, the country will get 800,000 doses of the two-shot vaccine.

The coronavirus vaccine is expected to be available by early next year. The vaccine will not be mandatory, but will be a strongly recommended, Filipche said.

He pointed out that this is a system co-led by the WHO and the GAVI Alliance, which allows vaccines from different manufacturers to be equally distributed to all countries that have applied to that mechanism.

“All countries in the region and Europe have applied through the COVAX Facility as it is one way to access the vaccine. Oxford vaccine, which was developed by the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca in collaboration with the University of Oxford enters final phase of COVID-19 trials. We have an offer from two other European countries that have signed a bilateral agreement with the company. Also, Poland has offered to resell a vaccine to our country. Coronavirus vaccine is expected to be available by early next year,” Filipche told Kanal 5 TV.