Jul 10, 2021 - World

U.S. donates 500,000 COVID vaccines to Moldova

Oriana González

Picture of a medical worker wearing PPE while treating a COVID patient — Medical staff wearing personel protection equipment (PPE) take care of severe cases of COVID-19 patients. Photo: DANIEL MIHAILESCU/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. sent 500,000 COVID vaccine doses to Moldova, White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced on Friday.

State of play: The U.S. Embassy in Moldova said the country would receive Johnson & Johnson shots, and the first 150,000 are set to arrive on Monday, AP reports.

What they're saying: Moldovan President Maia Sandu said the vaccines will "help save lives, preserve the health of our citizens and reduce the force of the pandemic," per AP.

"Now, we must mobilize ourselves and, in solidarity, get vaccinated," Sandu added.
She said the shipment was the first to head to Europe.

By the numbers: A total of 305,547 people in Moldova have been fully vaccinated, which represents 11.5% of the country's population, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

The country — between Romania and Ukraine — has reported a total of 257,343 confirmed virus cases and 6,207 deaths, per JHU.

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U.S. donates 500,000 COVID vaccines to Moldova

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