A package of 24,000 Astra Zeneca vaccines was delivered to Macedonia this morning, through the Covax mechanism.
Healthcare Minister Venko Filipce who, along with numerous western diplomats was at the airport to welcome the shipment, said that his will finally mean more intense vaccination. So far Macedonia only received 8,000 Pfizer vaccines donated from Serbia and 3,000 Sputnik V vaccines – all of which went to healthcare workers.

We have announcements that more vaccines will arrive this month. We will first immunize the elderly and people with chronical illnesses, Filipce said.

Filipce was strongly criticized after harming a major procurement contract with China due to his apparent corruption, as well as for the scenes witnessed yesterday, when thousands of Macedonian citizens left for Serbia to get vaccinated.

US Ambassador Kate Byrnes, who was at the ceremony in the Skopje airport, said that all countries should have access to vaccines and that the two countries will act as partners in defeating the pandemic. German Ambassador Anke Holstein noted that Germany strongly supported the Covax mechanism and the development of the vaccines, but lamented the problems that developed in the EU during their distribution. British Ambassador Rachel Galloway also pointed to the British contributions in developing the vaccines and the Covax mechanism.

The Healthcare Ministry plans to use the Boris Trajkovski sports hall in Skopje for vaccinations, mimicing other neighboring countries like Serbia, who have far more vaccines at their disposal and are using large centers for their administration. Filipce said that 76,000 doses of Astra Zeneca will arrive by the end of April. Before today’s delivery, Macedonia was out of vaccines, having used up the modest first two deliveries.