Fewer people are getting immunised against the coronavirus. Thousands of vaccine doses likely to be destroyed
As many as 240,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine and 50,000 doses of Sinopharm in medical institutions across the country might be destroyed this summer due to the date of expiry. According to the National Agency for Public Health (ANSP), Moldova now has sufficient stocks of the vaccine, but these could become useless due to the decreasing number of people requesting vaccination. The public health authority assured that it will continue negotiations for the purchase of new batches.
The validity period of the Sinopharm and Pfizer vaccine batches available in our country expires in April and May. However, a further 25,000 doses of Sinovac vaccine are still available. Veaceslav Gutu, head of the ANSP's epidemiological surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases section, told Radio Moldova that outdated doses could be destroyed because the number of people wanting to be vaccinated is falling.
Meanwhile, the specialist gives assurances that the anti-covid vaccines that will be destroyed will not harm the environment.
"It has been 18 months since production. At the moment, Pfizer has not yet expired, it expires on May 31. Each medical institution has a contract with companies that collect hazardous medical waste. The vaccines are incinerated."
Veaceslav Gutu added that the authorities are currently discussing with the Austrian embassy in Chisinau to purchase a new batch of bivalent Pfizer vaccine, which is more effective and recommended for people who are going to receive the booster dose.
Last week, according to ANSP data, 1,016 doses of covid vaccine were administered.
