(ANSAmed) - TIRANA, JANUARY 11 - Albania on Monday started
a vaccination campaign against Covid-19 with some 1,000 doses of
Pfizer, which were donated by a European Union country. Albanian
Premier Edi Rama stressed that he ''can't reveal the friendly
country that helped us, at its request'', adding that an
additional 2,000 doses are expected in the next few days. During
the third week of January, the first 10,000 doses should arrive
out of a total of 500,000 vaccines that the government of Tirana
was able to obtain thanks to a direct agreement with Pfizer.
The vaccine will be free and not mandatory and the first to
benefit will be doctors and nurses from hospitals treating
coronavirus patients, to continue with all medical personnel and
the elderly over 75 years of age as well as those living in old
age homes. The Albanian premier criticized the European Union
and its decision to leave out of its vaccination plan western
Balkan countries. ''It is unacceptable not just morally and
politically, but unjustifiable also from a logical point of
view, given that there are countries that keep extra doses
because they are unable to act fast. They could at least offer
us the necessary doses for healthcare personnel operating on the
frontlines against the Covid pandemic'', said the premier.
Rama was among the first to get the vaccination shot on live
television. ''I am only doing it to give a clear message that
the vaccine is not only safe but the only weapon against this
invisible enemy and also to show that all conspiracy theories
around the vaccine are ridiculous'', stressed Rama. (ANSAmed)
(ANSA).
