Skopje, 28 October 2022 (MIA) - As of yesterday, more than 20,000 vaccines against the seasonal flu have been applied, and 39,000 appointments have been scheduled for which citizens received a vaccination message with the exact date and vaccination point through e-appointment service, Health Minister Bekim Sali said on Friday. During today's visit to a vaccination point at the Public Health Center-Skopje, Minister Sali said vaccination started on time in all vaccination points. "It started for the first time in October, unlike previous years. As you know, the vaccines arrived before the middle of October and after finalizing the procedures at the Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices MALMED, we started distributing the quantities in all points," said Sali. He announced that from next week, field immunization will start in health centers,  i.e. patients in retirement homes and dialysis centers. "The Ministry has provided 40,000 flu vaccines for vulnerable groups and an additional amount has been provided by the PiVi organization, i.e. 20,000 doses as donation," explained Minister Sali. Regarding the donation by PiVi, he added that the vaccines have already arrived, and it is expected that the administrative procedures in MALMED will be regulated and they will be ready for use from next week. In response to a journalist's question, Minister Sali pointed out that the quantities of vaccines are procured based on data from previous years. "It seems that the good organization of the entire team that was involved in the supply and distribution of the vaccines showed its efficiency and it can be seen that the interest is greater than last year. Of course, this will be an indicator to plan more than expected," he added. This year there are a total of 60,000 vaccines, and according to the analysis, they will be a good benchmark for how many vaccines to plan for next year. He appealed that vaccination against the flu is the most effective measure to prevent the occurrence of more severe forms, complications and death, especially among risk groups. Sali added that free vaccination covers citizens from vulnerable groups such as people over 65, people with chronic diseases, health workers, pregnant women, children aged six months to five years. dk/ik/