Why are foreigners vaccinated for free in Armenia? The minister explains

Starting today, the condition of staying in Armenia for at least 10 days goes into effect. This was stated by Minister of Health Anahit Avanesyan during a press briefing after the government meeting.

It is noteworthy that from today, tourists will be vaccinated against coronavirus provided that they stay in Armenia for no less than 10 days. "The flexible adjustment of these conditions is related to the movement of our vaccine quantities, surpluses, and information about newly expected batches. At the moment we receive new supplies, we can also revise these conditions. The same applies for receiving the second dose; the requirement remains 10 days," Avanesyan said.

In response to a reporter’s question regarding the issue of Armenia purchasing vaccines with money while providing free vaccinations to foreign tourists and citizens, which leads to long queues, Avanesyan replied: "Our goal, both during the treatment of COVID and after it, to make vaccination accessible for foreigners in Armenia has a humanitarian and purely epidemiological purpose. Why? Because COVID does not recognize citizenship, status, or age. And being in Armenia, if individuals have contracted COVID, they now also need treatment as they pose a public danger, and the state must do everything possible to prevent the spread of the virus. Seeing that there is such interest in vaccination, the government should weigh whether a small fee for vaccination is justified, considering that foreign citizens who come to Armenia recognize the country, spend money here, and how Armenia's reputation is increasing during this time. We believe a wise decision will be made, and the results will be evident to all of you, especially if the influx becomes so large that we cannot manage it," she said.

Avanesyan also mentioned that currently over 110,000 people have already been vaccinated in Armenia.

Regarding vaccination certificates, Avanesyan said that after vaccination, a corresponding code appears in the COVID application, and if a citizen does not have a smartphone, they can obtain a paper version from their polyclinic.

Addressing the purchase of 606 million AMD from the company “Medline,” whose director is currently Deputy Minister of Health Gevorg Simonian, Avanesyan urged those with concerns over potential corruption risks in this transaction to contact the relevant authorities to clarify all circumstances.