An unprecedented readiness drill was conducted in the Republic of Moldova in preparation for the arrival of the first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines. The drill was organized by the national health authorities with support
from WHO, in anticipation of the country’s first delivery of vaccines through the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) Facility.
According to the National Plan for COVID-19 vaccine rollout, the Republic of Moldova aims to make vaccines available to at least 70% of the population. Through the COVAX Facility, the country has secured enough doses to cover about 1.7 million people, which represents half of its population. 20% of the total number of doses will be covered via the Gavi COVAX Advance Market Commitment. This innovative financing instrument enables access to donor-funded doses of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines, a third of which will be purchased through cost-sharing at preferential prices.
Detailed simulation as a readiness check
The simulation exercise (SimEX) was led by the National COVID-19 Immunization Focal Point team, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Protection and the National Agency for Public Health. The goal of the exercise was to test the system’s readiness for COVID-19 vaccine deployment and to identify the strengths and potential challenges that might affect vaccine delivery.
The exercise began at the Chisinau International Airport, using a special transportation freezer, and ran through scenarios for COVID-19 vaccine reception, distribution and administration. The next step was to deliver the vaccines to the National Vaccine Warehouse located on the premises of the National Agency for Public Health, a central institution responsible for vaccine reception and distribution at the national level.
“An effectively managed supply chain is crucial for successful deployment of COVID-19 vaccines. To achieve this, deployment readiness exercises were conducted at all levels during transportation, storage and distribution,” said Dr Igor Pokanevych, WHO Representative in the Republic of Moldova.
The exercise is a component of the comprehensive operational support provided by WHO to countries in the WHO European Region to ensure they are fully prepared for the delivery, deployment and administration of COVID-19 vaccines. The final readiness checks, including simulation exercises, have been initiated in countries designated to receive vaccines through the COVAX Facility in the coming weeks.