After failing to obtain a single dose of the more covered Western produced vaccines, Healthcare Minister Venko Filipce (pictured) today announced that the first shipments Macedonia can expect in February will come from China. Initially the Government refused offers from Russia for its vaccine, and was counting on Pfizer, but now, as the minister of the last country in the region that still hasn’t vaccinated even a token number of citizens, Filipce said that he is purchasing 200,000 Chinese shots.

Soon we will know the date of delivery. They will be used on all priority groups, Filipce said.

Asked about the U-turn, after insisting for months that Macedonia belongs in the West and will get the Western vaccines, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said that he was in contact with Washington and NATO and was told that purchasing Chinese vaccines is the sovereign right of every country and will not be a geo-political issue with the Western powers.