In an interview with state broadcaster TVP Info, Polish Health Minister Izabela Leszczyna stated that discussions with Latvia to purchase vaccines are nearing completion. "We are finalizing these talks. I believe that at the beginning of October, vaccines from Latvia will arrive," Leszczyna said on Monday.
Additionally, vaccines procured by the Ministry of Health through a recent tender are scheduled to arrive on October 15 and October 30. "The first batch of vaccines will arrive on October 15, the second on October 30," the official informed.
The vaccines will be available free of charge at primary healthcare centers and pharmacies.
Leszczyna explained that new COVID-19 vaccines are not yet available in Poland because the country’s previous government withdrew from centralized purchases organized by the European Union.
"If we had been part of that central project, we would already have vaccines. Since we had to organize our own tender, the only company that had vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency did not participate," she said.
The health ministry official also announced that she would sign a decree on Monday or Tuesday to include the pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine on the list of recommended vaccinations for pregnant women. This vaccine will be free of charge for this group.
(jh)
Source: PAP