Medical students – volunteers in COVID-19 mobile vaccination teams

35 volunteers – students and resident physicians from Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, members of the Association of Students and Residents of Moldova (ASRM), will travel to country’s localities in 10 mobile teams in order to vaccinate the population against COVID-19. In this way, the medical students are taking part in the ”From Home to Home” vaccination marathon, organized by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection, with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UNICEF Representative in the Republic of Moldova.

The first destination of the mobile teams was Gura Galbenei commune from Cimislia district, on June 5 this year. Volunteers informed residents about the benefits of vaccination against COVID-19 and immunized those who agreed to be vaccinated. Irina Boico, a second year student, Medicine specialty, ASRM member, mentioned that during the day, 270 people were vaccinated and about 2000 citizens were informed in the locality. ”People received us very warmly. Especially those who do not have the opportunity to go to the family doctor to be vaccinated against COVID-19, so they were happy to have the opportunity to be immunized at home. People were able to choose between three vaccines – Sinopharm, Sinovac and AstraZeneca”, said the medical student.

The mobile teams will travel to districts on Saturdays and Sundays, until August including. In total, 130 volunteer students, members of ASRM, participate in this action.

According to Denis Cernelea, the Secretary of State of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection, who visited Gura Galbena commune, ”these marathons will continue throughout the country, as in this way we aim to increase the acceptance rate of vaccination among the population”. At the same time, the official thanked the UNICEF and WHO Moldova representatives for both technical and logistical support, as well as all those involved in this exercise – volunteers, local public authorities, and health workers in the territory.

The immunization campaign against COVID-19 started in the Republic of Moldova on March 2, 2021. According to MSMPS data, as of June 7, more than 470 thousand doses of COVID vaccines have been administered in the country.