05 March 2021
COVID-19 vaccines shipped by COVAX arrive to the Republic of Moldova
https://www.unicef.org/eca/press-releases/covid-19-vaccines-shipped-covax-arrive-republic-moldova
Chisinau, 4 March 2021 - Today Moldova received 14 400 doses of the anti-COVID-19 vaccine, shipped via the COVAX Facility, a partnership between CEPI, Gavi, UNICEF and WHO. Moldova is the first country in Europe to receive vaccines from the COVAX facility. The arrival marked a historic step towards the goal to ensure equitable distribution of anti-COVID-19 vaccines globally, in what will be the largest vaccine procurement and supply operation in history. The delivery is part of a first wave of arrivals in Moldova that will continue in the coming days and weeks. "We are the first country in Europe to receive a free vaccine through the COVAX platform and we are grateful for that. The 14,400 doses of Covid-19 vaccine will help us continue to immunize medical staff and reduce the spread of the virus. We thank all the states and organizations that support financially this global platform - Germany and other EU Member States, the United States, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, the European Commission, Japan and others - for their solidarity in these difficult times for all. We also thank WHO and UNICEF for their efforts to distribute the vaccines fairly,” said Maia Sandu, the President of the Republic of Moldova. The COVAX Facility is expected to deliver 24,570 doses of BioNTech- Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and up to 264,000 indicative doses of AstraZeneca / SKBio COVID-19 vaccine to the Republic of Moldova in 2021. Team Europe, bringing together EU and its Member States, is one of the lead contributors to COVAX with over €2.2 billion, including another €900 million recently pledged by Germany. “The European Union continues to support the Republic of Moldova in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic. An equitable and fair access to vaccines is a key element in ending the pandemic. The European Union and its Member States, acting together as 'Team Europe' are proud to support COVAX in delivering vaccines to our partners and today we see the first vaccines via COVAX platform arriving in the country. This is an important support for continuing the vaccination and the EU has been and will continue to be a reliable partner in this process,” said Peter Michalko, Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova. On February 18, 2021 the United States pledged the initial $2 billion - out of a total $4 billion planned - to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to support the global vaccination effort for COVID-19. "Through USAID, the United States contribution of more than $2 billion dollars to the COVAX Vaccine Alliance supports the purchase and delivery of safe and effective vaccines for Moldova’s most vulnerable and at-risk populations, including frontline health care workers. These vaccines are critical to controlling the COVID-19 pandemic and delivering hope that better, happier days are within sight,” said Dereck J. Hogan, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova. Since the beginning of the pandemic, UN Moldova offered immediate support to the country, providing assistance in three main areas: health system preparedness, technical support and capacity building, and information and communication on COVID-19. WHO leads the support of the country’s preparedness to receive and administer vaccines. “Vaccines will be a critical new tool in the battle against COVID-19: It is encouraging to see so many vaccines in development. Working as quickly as they can, scientists from across the world are collaborating and innovating to bring us tests, treatments and vaccines that will collectively save lives and end this pandemic,” said Dr Igor Pokanevych, WHO Representative in the Republic of Moldova. ”However, vaccines alone will not end the pandemic. Ongoing public health measures to prevent transmission will still be needed alongside vaccination, including adhering to testing and quarantine measures, mask wearing, hand hygiene and physical distancing.” UNICEF is leveraging its experience as the largest single vaccine buyer in the world and working with manufacturers and partners on the procurement of anti-COVID-19 vaccine doses, as well as freight, logistics and storage. UNICEF already procures more than 2 billion doses of vaccines annually for routine immunization and outbreak response on behalf of nearly 100 countries. “Vaccines are among the greatest advances of modern medicine. Sustainable supply of the vaccines is the only way out of this crisis, to ensure that vaccination is available for all,” said Maha Damaj, UNICEF Moldova Country Representative. “UNICEF looks forward to these vaccines being made available to the people most at risk, and to further ensuring that routine immunization services for other life-threatening infections are not disrupted.” Since the beginning of the pandemic, more than 180,000 Moldovans, including more than 10,000 children and more than 800 pregnant women, were infected with the virus and over 4,000 lives were lost because of Covid-19 infection. The virus was confirmed to have reached the Republic of Moldova on 7 March 2020, when a Moldovan woman that returned from Italy was tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Romania shipped the first donation of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine to Moldova on 27 February, allowing Moldova to start vaccinating frontline medical workers on 2 March. Коробки с вакцинами UNICEF Moldova/ Vladimir Uvarov
Europe and Central Asia
