The Ministry of Health started vaccinating teachers and educational workers for seasonal influenza yesterday.
During a visit to Kindergarten 36 in Tirana, Health Minister Ogerta Manastirliu said the government has quadrupled the number of vaccine doses for this year in order to vaccinate all at-risk groups.
“We managed to quadruple the number of vaccine doses for this year, to provide a better protective barrier for all at-risk groups and today we start the vaccination program in the community, near the workplace, for all educators and teachers across the country. ”
The influenza vaccine is being given free do charge to all teachers, police, health staff, elderly and those with health issues. It seems likely that the government doesn’t have enough vaccines to cover all that need it.
The Ministry has started vaccinating teachers some two months after school started, three months into flu season, and almost six months since the European Commission recommended that governments start vaccinating earlier this year as a part of the anti-COVID-19 strategy.
Those wishing to buy the vaccine this year faced a lot of issues including a monopoly by an import and the unavailability of the preferred vaccine until the beginning of November.
