The Minister of Health, Marta Temido, said today that the arrival in Portugal of the first batch of vaccines against Covid-19 marks the beginning of "new hope" to win the pandemic.
“It opens up a new hope and a new perspective”, declared Marta Temido to Lusa agency, in the premises of the Service for Common Use of Hospitals (SUCH) where the vaccines were stored, in Arazede, a parish in the municipality of Montemor-o- Old, in the district of Coimbra.
In his opinion, the moment that the country is experiencing, with the distribution of the first vaccines by pharmaceutical companies, in Portugal and around the world, “also symbolizes what is the ability of science to help solve new problems” .
“Winter has barely started”, he said, but also “the work has just started” regarding the vaccination plan against Covid-19 in Portugal, whose procedures will be reinforced as the next batches arrive.
For Marta Temido, the Government, health professionals and the Portuguese in general "start to 2021 with hope and redoubled energy" given the need to respond to the "much that matters to do" in the context of the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic .
The Health Minister praised the work carried out since the new coronavirus was detected in Portugal in early March, stressing that the Government had the commitment of professionals from the National Health Service (SNS), among other areas of public administration, to “face a disease that was not known”.
“This was an extraordinarily difficult and hard year for most of us”, he underlined, in the statements to Lusa, inside the SUCH facilities.
On the other hand, the majority of Portuguese citizens and institutions were able to "comply with new rules" in view of the emergency situation affecting the country and the world.
"But we are now better prepared," said Marta Temido, who shared a feeling of notorious satisfaction with the civil entourage, as well as dozens of elements from the security forces, especially the GNR, and some officials from the Armed Forces.
However, he said, the Government will “expand the vaccination program” of NHS professionals in the main public hospitals.
In addition to the batch of 9.750 vaccines that arrived in Portugal today, through Vilar Formoso, on the border with Spain, the delivery of another 70.200 doses was anticipated, which should arrive on Monday.
“We had this good news before Christmas”, welcomed Marta Temido, indicating that this reinforcement will also allow vaccination of health workers in the autonomous regions of the Azores and Madeira.
The Minister of Health praised the work of State professionals, namely in the areas of defence, security and health, so that the first batch could be welcomed today, in the Center region, in the municipality of Montemor-o-Velho.
Escorted by security forces, the refrigerated vehicle that transported the vaccines, two boxes with a total weight of 41 kilograms, entered the perimeter of the storage unit at around 9:45 am.
The process of opening the van, which was sealed, and housing the vaccines was carried out by SUCH workers and other responsible persons, accompanied by the Minister of Health.
The vaccination campaign against Covid-19 starts on Sunday in Portugal.
As in other European Union countries, the vaccine is optional, free and universal, being provided by the NHS.
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