"Caravan of Health and Vaccination": Promotion of the benefits of immunization

The Ministry of Health (MOH), the Institute for Public Health (IJZCG) and the World Health Organization (WHO) launched today a new initiative - the "Health and Vaccination Caravan", as part of the American rescue plan, in response to Covid-19 in Montenegro, which funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The goal of the "Health and Vaccination Caravan" is to promote the benefits of immunization as a life-saving intervention. IJZCG announced that the focus will be on vaccination against covid, but that the initiative will also include other vaccination programs such as those against human papilloma virus (HPV) and measles, mumps and rubella (MMR).

"The United States of America - through USAID - has allocated $2,7 million in emergency aid to help Montenegro detect, manage and treat COVID-19, but also to strengthen and maintain response capacities to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic on public health and socio-economic consequences," the announcement states.

Today in Budva, citizens had the opportunity to check their health, talk to doctors and health workers and receive additional materials about the benefits of immunization. Also, some citizens were vaccinated on the spot, while a large number of visitors took advantage of the doctor's presence and scheduled a vaccination with their chosen doctor at the Health Center. "Within the caravan, an interesting cultural and artistic program was arranged (Castellnuovo klapa and Đurđa with a band), as well as special gifts for the youngest, and Red Cross volunteers also helped with the action," the statement added.

The Health and Vaccination Caravan entails the establishment of mobile vaccination points in four municipalities (Budva, Nikšić, Bijelo Polje, Ulcinj), where all citizens who express their desire can be vaccinated on the spot (with Covid-19, HPV and MMR vaccines), in a bus that is adapted for the safe administration of vaccines and parked in an approved location. It is particularly important, the Institute points out, that citizens are enabled to easily and directly receive all the necessary information about vaccination programs from competent health workers, as well as to check the value of blood pressure, blood sugar level and the like.

The Health and Vaccination Caravan aims to cover vulnerable groups with its activities in February and March. It was designed to reach people living in areas where vaccine uptake was lower than the national average.

"Groups at high risk of COVID-19 and who will benefit from this initiative include: people with some chronic conditions, the elderly, pregnant women, health workers and others. Girls between the ages of 9 and 14 will benefit from vaccination against of HPV, and children under 5 years of age from vaccination with the MMR vaccine," the Institute points out.

"The health and vaccination caravan brings together health workers and members of the local community, who have the opportunity to be informed and vaccinated against COVID-19, HPV and MMR, ask questions of doctors and perform routine health examinations, such as measuring blood pressure and blood sugar," said Slodoban Mandić, director general of the Directorate for Health Care Quality Control in the Ministry of Health. "For health workers and health authorities, it is an excellent opportunity to better understand the health needs of citizens, as well as to present all the benefits of immunization," he added.

"Although COVID-19 continues to pose a threat to health, the level of vaccination coverage against this disease is still low in Montenegro. Through the health and vaccination caravan, we want to reach as many citizens as possible and promote the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccination. Increasing vaccination coverage requires joint action, broad partnership, strong involvement of the local community and informed citizens," said Dr. Mina Brajović, head of the WHO Office in Montenegro.

"Community-based activities like this are crucial to increasing vaccination rates and building people's confidence in vaccines now and in the future. Whether it's the COVID-19, HPV, or MMR vaccines, they remain the best way to fight these diseases. The best thing you can do to protect yourself and your community is to get vaccinated," said Dr. Borko Bajić, assistant director for public health and medical issues at the IJZCG.

To date, 46,1 percent of the population of Montenegro has received the primary series of vaccines against Kovid-19, while the vaccination rate with the first booster dose is 16,6 percent and 0,5 percent with the second booster dose.