ZAGREB, Dec 27, 2020 - The first medical workers in Croatia got vaccinated against COVID-19 on Sunday, and the vaccines were dispensed at Zagreb's "Dr Fran Mihaljevic" hospital for infectious diseases.
Resident Nikolina Bogdanic, the first medical worker to get vaccinated, said that she had no doubts as to whether to get immunised.
"Considering what I have been witnessing on a daily basis, I never had any doubts as to whether I should get vaccinated," she said, adding that she was happy the vaccine had arrived in Croatia so quickly.
"Every vaccination is a big step in the fight against this ugly pandemic," Dr Bogdanic said.
Markotic: Today is important, optimistic day; Beros: We have a powerful weapon
The head of the "Dr Fran Mihaljevic" hospital, Alemka Markotic, said that today was a very important and optimistic day.
"It is very important that we all understand how important it is to protect oneself in the coming months and to get vaccinated in line with the vaccination schedule. The more people get vaccinated, the greater the chance will be that we will protect ourselves," Markotic said.
She said that 30 employees of the hospital would get vaccinated today and that priority was given to young people.
Health Minister Vili Beros, who attended the vaccination, said that the start of vaccinations heralded an end to the pandemic but he called for compliance with epidemiological restrictions during the cold winter months.
"We now have a powerful weapon in the fight against COVID-19," the minister said.
"Vaccination is a medical procedure that has saved the most lives in the history of medicine, so let us see to it that that is so this time as well. Vaccination has reduced or eliminated a large number of diseases, let us hope it will be the same with COVID-19... Vaccines reduce the clinical effects of dangerous diseases, so let us be optimistic and get vaccinated," the minister said.
He noted that talks had been held with representatives of family physicians and that vaccination offices and mobile teams were being organised. Also, work is underway on launching a platform that will make it easier for family doctors to keep a record of people interested in getting vaccinated, the minister said.
He called on citizens to contact their GPs, noting that they are the most relevant factor in assessing their condition and everything related to vaccination.
"Since the vaccination of larger groups of the population is expected in the spring, there is enough time until then and we will certainly organise the vaccination in the best possible way," said Beros.
HZJZ head: Another 8,000 doses to arrive next week
The head of the Croatian Public Health Institute, Krunoslav Capak, said that slightly fewer than 8,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine would arrive in Croatia next week, and that 17,000 doses would arrive in the week after January 4.
After that, 18,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be arriving on a weekly basis, after which slightly greater quantities will be arriving, he said.
Capak expressed hope that after January 10 larger quantities of the Moderna vaccine would start arriving as well.
Earlier in the day, vaccination against COVID-19 began in Croatia, with 81-year-old Branka Anicic, a resident of a Zagreb retirement home, being the first person to get vaccinated.
