The Gagauz autonomy returned to the Ministry of Health of Moldova the entire batch of the AstraZeneca vaccine received as humanitarian aid from Romania.
The director of the Comrat Public Health Center, Ivan Khasta, stated this on GRT radio, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
According to him, “from the very beginning, the public, including the medical community, showed some distrust.” This is due to reports of side effects from the vaccine. 50 doctors were vaccinated. The attempt to continue among those over 60 "has not met with widespread approval."
This decision can be seen as a demarche by the Bashkan of Gagauzia, Irina Vlah, against the new pro-Western President Maia Sandu, under whose auspices the vaccine was imported to Moldova from Romania. At the same time, Sandu strongly opposed the registration of the Russian vaccine in the country.
Sandu caused Vlah a serious insult by removing her from the Supreme Security Council. This was a rather reckless decision addressed to the leader of the Russian-speaking republic, whose relations with Chisinau have always been quite tense. When she was prime minister, Sandu behaved more cautiously, defiantly speaking in Russian in the capital of Gagauzia, Comrat.
It is significant that Irina Vlah met with the Russian Ambassador to Moldova Oleg Vasnetsov a few days ago. The fight against Covid was discussed, as well as interaction with Rossotrudnichestvo.
In the near future, 182 thousand doses of the Russian Sputnik vaccine will arrive in Moldova (a third of the batch will go to Transnistria). The former President of Moldova, Igor Dodon, agreed on supplies.