A mass vaccination programme against the COVID-19 started throughout Albania on Sunday with people aged over 70 receiving first the jab at two huge tents set up at Tirana’s main Skanderbeg square that will serve as mass vaccination site. The mass inoculation will be expanded all over the country starting tomorrow.

Prime Minister Edi Rama, accompanied by the Minister of Health and the Social Protection Ogerta Manastirliu, attended the vaccination process, where many older adults had received the first dose of the novel coronavirus vaccine. Many elderly expressed their praise and gratitude for the efforts to secure the COVID-19 vaccine to date.

“A large team of doctors and vaccinators have been deployed to administer the vaccines at this huge vaccination centre. Our aim is to give at least 10,000 shots a day,” Health Minister Manastirliu said.

The vaccine administering process lasts no longer than ten minutes and the aim is to break the infection chain as much as possible so that the upcoming tourist season is more relaxed that the last year’s season. “I believe we will have half a million Albanians vaccinated within May and I am fully confident that the process will move forward very quickly as we have secured considerable vaccine supplies. We continue working to secure entire needed quantity and I very much believe that this tourist season will be more relaxed as a result of the attacks against the chain of infections. We are confident that whole population will be vaccinated by next spring, but I personally believe – although Ogerta advises me not to state that – I believe we will complete the vaccination process earlier,” the Premier said.