COVAX vaccine will be coming very soon and healthcare workers will be among the first to receive the vaccine in line with decision of the Infectious Diseases Commission and the government, Jihane Tawilah, Head of the World Health Organization (WHO) North Macedonia Office, told reporters on Thursday.
“Vaccine is on its way. There are a lot of preparations that need to happen. We are dealing with known scientific methodology and safe and effective methodology and the vaccine would be given first to the priority as it is done in all the countries all over the world. According to the decision of the Infectious Diseases Committee in the country and the decision of the government, the first targeted groups are going to be the protection of the health care workers, as it is in all the countries in the world. You need to understand that the protection is started so it will need time to become large enough to cover everybody, but I can assure you that the government and the country is doing everything they can to make sure that everybody is protected in the country,” Tawilah told reporters when asked why COVID-19 vaccines have not yet arrived in the country.
She explained that the situations of countries are different. “This vaccine is being used for emergency use, so it doesn’t follow the regular vaccines that come to the market, and this needs very careful observation and study from the government to make sure that you are given drive vaccine,” Tawilah said after handover of WHO donation to the Institute of Forensic Medicine and Institute of Microbiology.
She believes that the views that COVAX system does not work are groundless.
“I don’t know what you base your information on by saying that COVAX system does not work. We have received information that the COVAX vaccine will be coming very soon. Ministry of Health is working with the COVAX system with GAVI specifically and also working with UNICEF to make sure that the vaccines will come in due time,” Tawilah said.
Health Minister Venko Filipche reiterated that COVID-19 immunization plan includes three categories and the vaccination of the healthcare workers, who are at the high risk of COVID-19 infection, will start immediately.
“In the first group are people older than 70 years with certain comorbidities and people with disabilities living in group homes. The second group includes the other group of healthcare workers with lower risk of becoming infected, patients with chronic diseases and employees in the critical infrastructure for the state, etc. The vaccination plan is discussed on several levels in our country with representatives of the Commission for Infectious Diseases, the Immunization Committee, the working group that works in this field,” Filipche said.
