TIRANA, November 13/ATA/- Albania’s Minister of Health and Social Protection Ogerta Manastirliu visited today the medical center no. 10 in Tirana to say that 138 thousand free flu vaccines are available for the most vulnerable groups.
“The Ministry of Health and Social Protection and the Institute of Public Health have taken measures to free vaccine against influenza for the groups at risk beginning timely vaccination initially for the medical personnel and the elderly, to avoid complications of the flu,” said Manastirliu.
The vaccines are intended to protect the most vulnerable groups of the population, including children aged 2 to 5 for the first time. Other groups at risk and who can get free vaccinations are pregnant women, people older than 65, people with chronic diseases such as diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic heart, kidney, liver disease and obese or suffering of immunodeficiency of all age groups.
The flu vaccines of the season, which will be used this current year, are pre-qualified by the World Health Organization. Vaccination will be carried out free of charge at every medical center and according to specialists, it is the best time to get the vaccine now that there is no flu virus in our country yet.
Manastirliu said that another important investment from the state budget funds aiming at vaccine preservation and safety is the provision of 50 medical centers in the country with new refrigerators, certified by standards in order to increase the safety of pre-qualified vaccines. This is an important link for maintaining and completing the vaccination process effectively./j.p/p.s./
