Macedonia starts Wednesday a nationwide campaign to inoculate 20,000 people over 77 with the AstraZeneca vaccine that arrived in the country under the Covax program on Sunday.

In Skopje, vaccination will be conducted in the polyclinics “Jane Sandanski”, “Cair” and “Bucharest”. Today, the citizens in Prilep, Ohrid, Gostivar, Stip, Kumanovo, Veles, Bitola, Strumica and Kavadarci will receive the first dose of the vaccine.

Family doctors will inform the citizens about the term for the vaccine.

On Friday, vaccination will start in Tetovo, Struga, Negotino, Kriva Palanka, Vevcani, Valandovo, Rostuse, Gostivar, Gevgelija, Delcevo, Sveti Nikole, Resen, Demir Hisar, Krusevo, Makedonska Kamenica, Kratovo, Kicevo, Kocani, Vinica, Probistip, Debar, Pehcevo and Makedonski Brod.

The Ministry of Health informed on Tuesday that 4,000 vaccines will be allocated for workers of essentials public services, such as employees of the Ministry of Interior and the Army, journalists, employees of courts and prosecutor’s offices, drivers of JSP buses, firefighters, kindergarten teachers and toll booth workers.

However, late Tuesday, the Minister of Health, Venko Filipce said that Macedonia will follow the examples of Canada and Germany and will not vaccinate people under 60 with the AstraZeneca vaccine.