80000 Vaccinations Demonstrated the Bankruptcy of the Initial Climate of Fear, Says Pashinyan

Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan headed a consultation today, where the coronavirus pandemic situation, prevention measures, and vaccination process in Armenia were discussed.

At the start of the consultation, Nikol Pashinyan noted: “Esteemed colleagues, unfortunately, the new coronavirus pandemic has not yet been overcome worldwide. On the contrary, we are witnessing new manifestations of the pandemic, new outbreaks, including very concerning indicators of increased death cases in various countries.”

“Overall, the situation related to the pandemic has been manageable in the Republic of Armenia in recent months. We have a relatively low daily incidence rate, but it is important to consider this low rate against our previous high figures. Daily cases of 70, 60, 100, or 120 are still quite significant,” he added.

Pashinyan pointed out that there had been days without any reported deaths from the virus in the previous period, which is encouraging. However, he emphasized the need to focus on preventing a return to the figures of July and December 2020, and January 2021, and to overcome the pandemic.

He remarked that previously there had been discussions and some actions taken to increase vaccination coverage: “Initially, our concern was to procure the necessary quantities of vaccines, but our agenda seems to have changed along the way, and we now have the task of ensuring vaccinations are conducted in adequate volumes. This means public sentiment should lean towards vaccination, which, it must be admitted, is not yet adequately manifested at a practical level.”

“Currently, we have approximately 80,000 vaccinated citizens, which is a very small figure, and it is a challenge we must address. To bring these numbers to a proper level, extensive work must be done, especially in the area of public communication,” he stated.

Pashinyan expressed satisfaction that the 80,000 vaccinations demonstrated the bankruptcy of the initial atmosphere of fear, as they did not record any complications related to vaccination, which could have been concerning. He acknowledged the statistical probabilities in medical interventions, stating that even the simplest medical procedures could result in complications, including fatalities. However, this does not mean that medical services or healthcare systems should be compromised or opposed.

He asserted that the aim is to evaluate the current situation considering past experiences and to plan future actions to manage the pandemic-related situation effectively.

Acting Minister of Health Anahit Avanesyan presented the pandemic situation in Armenia as of June 30, 2021, reporting a total of 225,095 cases, with 2,704 individuals receiving treatment (1.2%), 216,718 recovered (96.3%), and 4,514 deaths (2%), with 1,099 fatalities for other reasons. Avanesyan indicated that the current situation is manageable, classifying Armenia in the “green” zone according to EU standards, though there has been a rise in COVID-19 cases compared to the last 14 days, necessitating preventive measures to maintain control.

Regarding the vaccination process, the acting minister reported that 80,000 vaccinations against COVID-19 have been administered with no reported fatalities. Armenia has sufficient vaccine coverage levels, with plans for importing new vaccine batches in the near future, including vaccines approved by the World Health Organization.

Acting Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan highlighted that among the 80,000 vaccinated individuals, there have been no adverse cases, whereas 1,600 of the 80,000 infected individuals have died, indicating that vaccination is a more effective means in combating the virus. State policy should aim to increase vaccination volumes.

Pashinyan underscored the importance of implementing a broad public awareness campaign to promote the vaccination process, with state governance and medical institutions leading the initiative. The consultation also addressed measures to stimulate vaccination, adherence to anti-epidemic rules, and the necessary control measures for economic activity and tourism.

Pashinyan instructed the Ministry of Health, in active inter-agency cooperation, to discuss the ideas and proposals put forth and develop structured solutions. He reiterated that the measures to be undertaken should encourage vaccination against COVID-19, and he assigned specific directives with clear timelines and indicators to responsible agencies.