The vaccine adapted to the new strains of COVID-19 will arrive in Romania by the end of November, on Tuesday said the Health minister Alexandru Rafila, in a news conference, according to Agerpres.

„It arrives late in Romania because I have a responsibility towards public money. Because it was a long process of negotiation, of reducing the amount. (…) This year we had to buy over 19 million doses of vaccine by Pfizer. Then, having already 6 million doses expired or in the process of expiring, having the refrigerators full, I thought that still some hundreds of millions of euros should remain for patients in Romania, adults or children. Of these 19 million doses, we sold 7.5 million, we negotiated with the manufacturing company and the European Commission to reduce the remaining quantity of 11.2 million to 3 million. At this moment we are very close to signing an order for 3 million doses that will arrive shortly, that is, this month for the patients in Romania. (….) Until the end of the month,” Rafila said.

„I will vaccinate myself with the fourth dose when the new version of the vaccine against the infection with COVID 19 will be available,” the minister added.

He said that by reselling 7.5 million doses by Romania and by reducing the quantity following the negotiations, an economy of at least 300 million euros was made this year.

„When we sold 7.5 million doses, we saved about 150 million euros. We will also save over 150 million euros by reducing the quantity. At this year’s level, I think we can discuss about at least 300 million euros saved in terms of the COVID vaccine,” Rafila concluded.

Agerpres