14:24, 16 февраля 2022, Bishkek - 24.kg news agency , Anastasia BENGARD
Work on vaccination with a booster dose against coronavirus has intensified in Kyrgyzstan, the demand among the population is growing. Gulbara Ishenapysova, Director of the Republican Center for Immunoprophylaxis, told 24.kg news agency.
According to her, more than 90,000 people have received the third dose of the vaccine as of today.
«By February 28, mobile brigades were launched together with health organizations to visit the institutions. The work has already begun in the regions,» Gulbara Ishenapysova said.
«As for coverage of the target group, we have reached 51 percent of vaccination with the second dose and more than 62 percent with the first dose. We have already used more than 2.6 million doses of vaccines in total. According to the strategy of the World Health Organization (WHO), all countries should cover 70 percent of the population by July 2022. That is why a mission has come to the Kyrgyz Republic with recommendations. Vaccination in the republic is voluntary. Given such working conditions, 50 percent coverage is normal. We will try to accomplish it until July,» she added.
Booster dose of the vaccine was introduced in the Kyrgyz Republic on December 20, 2021. It can be get four months after a full course of vaccination.
Pfizer, Moderna, Sinopharm are currently available. AstraZeneca is out, but future deliveries are possible.
«Sinovac is good until 2024, so we use vaccines with a shorter shelf life now. Sputnik Light is ending, its expiration date is close,» the head of the center said.
According to official statistics, 1.39 million people have been vaccinated with the first dose in the country to date. At least 1,125 million citizens have been fully vaccinated. There are 1.25 million doses of vaccines left.
Earlier it was reported that 3.4 million people have been identified as the target group to be vaccinated within the National Coronavirus Vaccination Plan. It does not include children under 18 years old and external labor migrants. However, in mid-November, the Ministry of Health decided to vaccinate 16-18- year-old adolescents, pregnant and lactating women.