The Albanian Parliament voted yesterday to approve a normative act that permits the Ministry of Healthcare to conduct negotiations to purchase other vaccines in addition to those approved by EMA. The act specifies that the vaccines have to be approved by the authorities in their origin countries. The decision clears the pathway for the arrival of Russian and Chinese vaccines to Albania, despite the initial reluctance of the executive to do so.
A supply of 10.000 Sputnik V doses arrived to Albania earlier this week as a donation from the Crown Prince of the United Arab Emirates. Health Minister Manastirliu said these vaccines would be used to complete the inoculation process of the plus 80 years old citizens. Health specialist asses that the sputnik vaccine uses the same principle like Astrazeneca and is effective. The vaccine is also administered in two does roughly three weeks apart.
Albanian media also reported that the Albanian government has started negotiations with the Chinese vaccine production companies through their intermediaries in turkey. Turkey has used the Sinovac vaccine with president Erdogan receiving his dose in early January.
Meanwhile the official Russian government announced today that President Putin received his first dose of the Sputnik V vaccine and would proceed with his normal agenda as usual.
