With the mass vaccination campaign against the COVID-19 infection being accelerated across the country, the vaccine eligibility will be expanded to people 65 and over this week. The vaccine rollout continues normally in the resort town of Pogradec, with more than 3700 citizens having already received the COVID-19 vaccine. Prime Minister Edi Rama and the Minister of Health and Social Protection visited the vaccination site in Pogradec to see the process up close.
“The number of administered vaccine doses will jump to over 200,000 today from 192,000 a day ago. We will complete vaccination of the police officers, while preparations are underway to expand the vaccine eligibility to people 65 or even 60 years old and the patients with chronic diseases. The vaccination pace is very high compared with the countries in the region and I am confident the process will go faster thanks to the commitment of all health workers, vaccinators and other heath structures across the country,” Manastirliu said.
As many as 9000 citizens have received the jab so far in the south-eastern region of Korça.
Prime Minister Edi Rama said in a statement to the media:
The vaccination campaign is moving forward very fast thanks primarily to a really effective coordination of the whole process even to the remotest health care centre by the Ministry of Health under the Health Minister’s leadership. Likewise, the online applications for vaccination via e-Albania platform work just fine. I avail myself of this opportunity to call on citizens to access e-Albania portal whenever they need to do so and register so that they can receive the jab when they think that the family doctor is not notifying them as the family doctors notify people according to the vaccination plan so that everybody gets vaccinated.
A considerable quantity of more vaccine doses will arrive this week, allowing us to go on with the mass inoculation drive and making sure that second doses are all available for the people who have received the first jab. I believe we will receive important news about a significant shipment of more vaccine doses this week too.
– How would you comment the mass gatherings staged by the Albanian opposition, violating the anti-COVID restrictions? You have taken to Facebook to comment on this issue.
PM Edi Rama: I have reiterated my comment every day. Unfortunately, there are people who think this is politics and, even worse, they think this is a demonstration of jealousy for crowds. It is true that every political party and our party in particular can bring huge crowds of people together, but it would be a demonstration of complete irresponsibility at a time when vaccination is the only fatal weapon against the invisible enemy, but the situation would worsen if we don’t combine vaccination with social distancing and other restriction rules. Moreover, we all are aware of such examples in other countries where such electoral marches and gatherings have caused many people to contract the virus and lose their lives. This shouldn’t happen and this is not the way how the political leadership of any party should act.
