The vaccination against COVID-19 in North Macedonia starts, the Health Minister will be vaccinated from the new batch [Photo gallery]

Вакцинацијата против ковид-19 во земјава почна со имунизирање на медицинскиот персонал што директно работи со пациентите со оваа болест | Фото: Арбнора Мемети

The vaccination against COVID-19 in North Macedonia began today. In the modular hospital situated at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases in the capital Skopje, the health workers from this clinic received the first dose from the batch of the Pfizer vaccines that was received from Serbia. In the next 10 days, all the health workers in this clinic should receive the first dose.

Dobrinka Naunova Jovanovska, Primarius M.D, an infectious diseases specialist at this clinic, and the Head nurse Gabriela Temelkovska, said that they are feeling fine and said everyone should be vaccinated and protect themselves from COVID-19.

“I’m feeling fine, the jab was painless. I can recommend each one of us to receive the vaccine, because it is the only way we can protect ourselves from this type of infection that the whole world is fighting with. After 21 days, I will receive the second dose. The immunity is achieved two or three weeks after the two doses are administered. After the vaccination, I will be safer should I contract the virus from a patient, I can deal with the infection easier. That is why this vaccination means a great assurance, I shall be protected much more than those who didn’t receive the vaccine,” the doctor said.

Venko Filipche, the Ministeр of Health of North Macedonia, when asked why he wasn’t vaccinated today, replied that he will wait for the next batch to arrive, because he wanted to give preference to his colleagues that are working with COVID patients each day.

“The vaccination of the all employees at the Clinic for Infectious diseases will continue in the forthcoming days, and the next in line is the staff from the COVID centers i.e. the Institute for Pulmonary diseases – Kozle and “8 Septemvri”, as well as those from the Clinic of Internal Medicine that are working with COVID patients. During the weekend, the medical staff in the hospitals throughout the country will start with getting the vaccines. In yesterday’s conversation with Pfizer representatives, I was assured that another 4.000 doses will arrive next week. We shall start campaigning to raise awareness so that the citizens will know that the vaccines are safe, they were developed on safe platforms and that the vaccination is the only way to change the situation with the pandemic. I said that I shall vaccinate myself in order to show that the vaccines are safe and that this is the only way for a collective immunity to be created. I don’t want to take the place of my colleagues that are working directly with COVID-patients. I shall get a vaccine from the next batch that will arrive so that I may show the people that this is something they should do for themselves. Otherwise, the capacity of this station is 500 people a day and we started with 350. In a matter of 10 days, all medical staff will be vaccinated,” said Filipche.