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.