Prime Minister Edi Rama promised his government will vaccinate 500 thousand people against COVID-19 over the next two months.
Speaking from Tirana’s main square on Sunday, where people over 70 started to get vaccinated with the Chinese Sinovac vaccine in tents installed for the purpose, Rama said the whole population will get the jab within a year from now.
“Half a million Albanians will be vaccinated within May. I am fully convinced we will progress rapidly; we have provided considerable supply,” Rama said, adding that “we are convinced everyone will be vaccinated until next spring.”
Since the beginning of the pandemic more than one year ago, the Rama government has tested about half a million people for the virus.
Albania has received about 290 thousand vaccine doses by Sinovac, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Sputnik V, but has only used about 65 thousand since January, roughly the same number of people promised to be vaccinated in two months.
On Sunday, one month ahead of general elections, the Prime Minister promised a 24-hour vaccination campaign. People won’t be able to choose between vaccine brands.
He pointed at the need “to save” the tourism season in the country, and announced that tourists won’t be required to present proof of vaccination.
