Almost 35.000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, which expires at the end of this month, are unused in the Montefarma warehouse.
This institution told "Vijesta" that they have 16.790 first doses of the Russian vaccine in storage, as well as 18.080 second doses.
Those vaccines are valid until February 28 of this year.
The last contingent with 40.000 doses of that vaccine, which was purchased by the state, arrived in Montenegro in mid-October last year, which means that a little more than 5.000 doses have been sent to the vaccination centers so far.
In less than a year since immunization against coronavirus began in Montenegro, a total of 27.754 doses of vaccines from various manufacturers have been destroyed due to the expiration date.
"Montefarm" told "Vijesta" that and clarified that the vaccines that expired immediately after the withdrawal were sent to the company Hemosan from Bar, which deals with the further distribution of medical waste for destruction.
"Montefarm" replied that a total of 1.054 doses of vaccine were returned from the vaccination points.
They said that 96 vials were withdrawn from Montenegrin checkpoints, ie 960 doses of Vaxzevria vaccine (AstraZeneca), then 71 doses of Gam-Covid-Vac Component, so-called Russian, Sputnik V vaccine, as well as 23 doses of Chinese, called VeroCell.
By the end of September last year, 21.360 doses had been withdrawn due to the expiration date.
This means that over the next four months, an additional 6.000 were destroyed, mostly Astra Zeneka vaccines whose expiration date was the end of October.
From "Montefarm" they said that among the remaining vaccines are also Comirnaty (Pfizer), more precisely three series whose expiration dates are March 31, April 30 and May 31 of this year.
The term of use of these vaccines was extended from six to nine months, after research that showed that its quality is adequate not only within half a year from the date of production, but also three months longer.
That approval is also valid at the level of the European Union, so all doses produced after March of this year will have a printed expiration date of nine months.
"Montefarm" replied that the expiration date of the VeroCell (Sinofarm) and Sinovac vaccines is March 15, 2023, May 29, 2023, and July 8, 2024.
Last week, Slovenia donated 42.000 doses of the Moderna vaccine to Montenegro. Montefarm reminded that the deadline for using these vaccines is April 3, April 5 and April 16 this year.
The Montenegrin Institute for Medicines and Medical Devices (CInMED), in cooperation with "Montefarm", informed health workers that at the level of the European Union in December last year, the term of use for the Moderna vaccine, now called Spikevax, was extended from seven to nine months.
Thus, the deadline for the use of donated vaccines, which expired in February, was extended until April.
Montenegro lags behind European Union countries in the percentage of vaccinated population. Some European countries have decided to donate vaccines before the expiration date to some Third World countries, where only a few percent of the population has been vaccinated.
Vaccination of priority groups in Montenegro began in February last year, when a donation of 2.000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine arrived from Serbia. Mass immunization began on May 4, after the state procured 200.000 doses of Sinofarm vaccine.
About a million doses of vaccines have arrived in Montenegro so far. Vaccines from seven manufacturers have been available to citizens over the past year.
However, interest in vaccination is still not at the level of developed, European countries and some countries in the region.
Until yesterday, 286.972 people or 46,3 percent received the first dose, and 277.718 or 44,8 percent of the total population received the second. According to data from the Institute for Public Health (IJZ), 89.310 people received the third, or booster dose.
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