The COVID-19 wave is accelerating. Poland will receive one million doses of free Moderna.
Coronavirus infections are on the rise in Poland again, with family doctors reporting nearly 5,000 cases in the last week alone. One million doses of the Moderna vaccine are on their way to the country, and will be available free of charge from the second half of September. Chief Sanitary Inspector Dr. Paweł Grzesiowski is urging the elderly and those with chronic illnesses to be vaccinated first.
Just a few weeks ago, the number of COVID-19 reports at primary care offices was around 1,200–1,300 per week. Now, according to Dr. Paweł Grzesiowski , they have almost quadrupled – to nearly 5,000 in a single week.
So we have a clear increase in the number of cases ," emphasized the head of GIS . He added that a similar phenomenon is also being observed in other European countries.
Poland will receive one million doses of Moderna vaccine, purchased through a joint EU tender. Delivery to the Government Agency for Strategic Reserves is expected between September 8th and 10th, and they will then be distributed to pharmacies and primary care clinics. Vaccinations will be free thanks to funding from the Ministry of Health and the National Health Fund.
Thanks to the purchase of vaccines by the Ministry of Health and reimbursement for the procedure by the National Health Fund, we will be able to receive the Moderna vaccine free of charge, as part of the general vaccination program. However, we will have to pay for vaccinations with other vaccines approved in Poland," explained Dr. Paweł Grzesiowski.
Other vaccines are also approved in Poland, but not all will be readily available. Last season, the Pfizer vaccine was commercially available in pharmacies, and – as Grzesiowski assessed – the situation will likely be similar this year. The Novavax protein vaccine, on the other hand, is unlikely to be available, as the manufacturer did not submit a bid in the European tender.
This year's infections are caused by two subtypes of the omicron variant – NP and LP. In younger people, the infection often resembles strep throat, causing a severe, painful sore throat. In older people, it is more likely to develop into a more severe form, even leading to pneumonia.
Experts emphasize that it is particularly important to vaccinate people over 60 years of age and those with chronic illnesses.
That is why it is so important that people over 60 years of age and those with chronic diseases get vaccinated first, appealed the head of GIS.
He noted that the composition of the Moderna vaccine has been updated and adapted to new variants of the virus.
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