First consignment of vaccines delivered on COVAX platform brought to Moldova

Chisinau, 4 March /MOLDPRES/ - President Maia Sandu today evening participated in the reception of the first consignment of free of charge anti-COVID-19 vaccines, delivered through the COVAX global platform. Moldova is the first country of Europe to receive vaccines through this mechanism, the presidential press service has reported.  

„Those 14,400 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine will help us continue immunizing the medical staff and reduce the rate of spread of the virus. In continuation, we do our utmost for the Moldovan citizens to benefit from various types of vaccine against COVID-19 for free and as quickly as possible,’’ Maia Sandu said at the event on the reception of the consignment. At the same time, the head of state noted that, no matter the producing company, the vaccines approved represented an efficient solution against Covid-19 and reduced the rate of infections and serious cases.   

In her speech, the Moldovan president thanked those who had made the COVAX initiative possible. ‘’We are grateful to all states and organizations which financially back this global platform – Germany and other EU member states, United States, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, European Commission, Japan and other countries – for the solidarity they prove in these difficult times for all of us. I thank the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for the efforts to fairly distribute the vaccines,’’ Maia Sandu said.    

Attending the event, EU Ambassador to Chisinau Peter Michalko said that the European Union would continue supporting Moldova in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, stressing that the fair and correct access to the vaccine was a key element to put an end to the epidemic. ‘’This is an important support for continuing the vaccination and EU have been and will continue to be a reliable partner for Moldova in this process,’’ Peter Michalko said.  

Ambassador of the United States to Moldova Dereck J. Hogan said that the USA supported the delivery of the safe and efficient vaccines for Moldova’s citizens, who are exposed to risk, including for the first-line health sector employees. ‘’These vaccines are essential for the control of the Covid-19 pandemic and to give hope that better and happier days will come,’’ Dereck J. Hogan said.   

UNICEF Representative in Moldova Maha Damaj and Representative of the WHO Office in Chisinau Igor Pokanevych reiterated the importance of the vaccine in the fight against Covid-19, encouraging the creation of as many as possible types of vaccine.

The COVAX platform represents a partnership between the Vaccine Alliance (GAVI), World Health Organization, UNICEF and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). Its goal is to speed up the development, production and fair access to tests, treatments and vaccines against Covid-19.

photo: presedintie.md