I don’t want to take the spot of colleagues that work directly with coronavirus patients. I’ll get vaccinated once other batches arrive, Health Minister Venko Filipce told reporters on Wednesday.

The COVID-19 vaccination began in Macedonia with a doctor and a head nurse of the Infectious Diseases Clinic becoming the first in the line to get the COVID-19 shot in the Skopje-based modular hospital.

The Minister pointed out that vaccines are safe, with developed secure platforms, and are the only way to achieve herd immunity.

I think that healthcare workers are also aware of the importance of immunization, and I will repeat I will get vaccinated, in order to point out and show that vaccines are safe, that they are developed on safe platforms, that it is the only way to to achieve herd immunity and change the image of the pandemic, said Filipce after the start of vaccination of healthcare workers.