“Vaccination will continue and, in order to ensure maximum safety in the vaccination program, also on the recommendation of experts yesterday, the Ministry and the Center for Disease Control and Public Health (NCDC) jointly decided to continue the vaccination process both in the case of AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines at multi-profile clinics,” Health Deputy Minister Tamar Gabunia said during the briefing at the Ministry today.
She pointed out that the main reason for such measures is the availability of resuscitation departments in the multi-profile clinics.
“Yesterday, all the interventions were performed on time and not a minute was lost in transporting the patient. As there was a resuscitation department in the area, the patient underwent necessary measures, but given the risks that an anaphylactic reaction is theoretically possible and related to the vaccination process, it is still safer to continue the vaccination process only in multi-profile clinics.”
Gabunia added that all the bookings that medical staff made in outpatient facilities have been changed today and will be redistributed to 40 multi-profile clinics.
“Unfortunately, anaphylactic cases are reported in the country every year. Naturally, this has not been linked to the coronavirus vaccine before. Approximately 40-60 cases are described in the statistics. Two deaths were reported last year.
“It is very unfortunate that this case coincided with the coronavirus vaccination, which is the process we are starting now. We understand that this will cause even more fear and mistrust among the population. Thus, we will do our best to provide complete and accurate information to our colleagues, as well as other citizens, so that they regain faith in the benefits of vaccination,” the Deputy Health Minister said.
Gabunia also noted that vaccinations will no longer be carried out in peripheral clinics in the Adjara region at the district level, and the process will continue at Batumi Republican Hospital, which has a better opportunity to manage the larger numbers of patients.
By Ana Giorgadze
