As the arrival of a shipment of Chinese coronavirus vaccines is expected by the end of the month, the Healthcare Ministry informed the public that citizens will not be allowed to choose the vaccine manufacturer.

Macedonia currently has only a modest batch of Pfizer vaccines donated by Serbia, which are meant only for healthcare workers. The Chinese shipment should be enough for 100,000 citizens, and a commercial contract with Pfizer should eventually get through. An AstraZeneca batch of between 100 and 170 thousand doses should also arrive through the Covax mechanism. Tens of thousands of citizens registered through a website set up by the Ministry that they want to receive the vaccine.

According to the Ministry, the choice of the vaccine will not be up to the citizen, and they will receive whatever vaccine is currently available. The second dose will be by the same manufacturer, as mixing is allowed only in exceptional circumstances.