Phases and priorities of vaccination in the country

on Mar 15, 21 • by NVO Infocentar •

According to the National Plan, in Phase 1 priority groups for vaccination are health workers in the first line of response in hospital settings with a high and very high risk of acquiring and transmitting infection...

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On December 21, 2020, the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia prepared a document representing the National Plan for COVID-19 vaccination.

The document was developed based on the existing recommendations and basic principles of the World Health Organization (WHO), the Strategic Expert Advisory Group (SAGE), the COVAX Organization and EMA and FDA regulators, as well as relevant national institutions and commissions in the country.

Vaccination is just one of the many preventive measures used to combat the spread of the pandemic and will play a key role in reducing the harmful effects on the health of the population and society at large.

The National Technical Working Group on COVID-19 Vaccination (NCTR) together with the Institute of Public Health and the Expert Commission on Immunization has developed a priority list of risk groups for vaccination.

Which citizens will be vaccinated first?

Phase 1

The Republic of North Macedonia is in the first phase of the vaccination process, when there is a very limited availability of vaccines, ie available quantities of vaccines for 1 – 10% of the total population. According to the National Plan, in Phase 1 priority groups for vaccination are health workers in the first line of response in hospital conditions with high and very high risk of acquiring and transmitting infection (Covid centers, ambulance, clinical and general public and private hospitals, centers for rehabilitation, nursing homes, staff in testing laboratories and Covid 19 diagnostics). This stage also includes elderly people at high risk of developing disease, complications and death, people older than 70 years.

Phase 2

In the second phase there is limited availability of vaccines and available amounts of vaccines for 11–20% of the total population. Stage 2 covers people 65 and older who are at high risk of developing the disease. Then people aged 20 to 65 with comorbidities. This framework includes health workers with a moderate risk of acquiring and transmitting infection, as well as employees of educational institutions in which teaching takes place with physical presence, as well as the staff of kindergartens. Phase 2 also includes the employees of vital institutions for the normal functioning of the society. That is, pharmacists, dentists, police, customs, firefighters, judiciary, employees of parliament, government and army.

Phase 3

In the third phase there is moderate availability of vaccines or available amounts of vaccines for 21-50% of the total population. At this stage, when the availability of vaccines is moderate, the employees in the production of food, production of medicines, public transport, communal hygiene and water supply, telecommunications and electricity supply, funeral services of the local self-government will start to be vaccinated. Furthermore, employees in the banking sector, agriculture, post office, transport, factory workers.

Phase 3 includes other employees in primary, secondary and higher education, prisoners, homeless people, migrants. As well as low-risk health professionals and healthy people aged 30 to 64 years.