Mass COVID-19 vaccination is gaining momentum in Kazakhstan. To date, more than 384,000 Kazakh citizens were vaccinated with the first dose of Sputnik V. More than 106,000 people received both doses of the vaccine. Additional mobile vaccination units are being actively deployed throughout the country. For example, such a vaccine administration point has been operating in one of the major shopping centers of Nur-Sultan. In two days, more than 300 city residents were immunized there.
“We started working officially just yesterday, started carrying out the vaccination of the population. In fact, we opened the center on Saturday last week and vaccinated the mall staff. About 25 percent of employees were vaccinated on Saturday and Sunday. Reception of citizens will be carried out from 10 am to 10 pm. We now have deployed two general practitioner’s rooms and two treatment rooms. There are two nurses in each treatment room and two therapists in each doctor’s office. We work in two shifts, four doctors and eight nurses per day. Plus four registrars,” said Chingiz Kurmanbayev, Director of a Family Health Center.
Immunization of the population in Kazakhstan is carried out in two phases. People receive the second dose of the vaccine only three weeks after receiving the first one. Before the procedure, those who are about to be vaccinated are thoroughly examined by doctors.
“We help people fill out the forms, guide them where to go, what to do. Everything is in a first-come, first-served basis. People stand in line, take a ticket, fill out the forms, go through the registration, then go to the therapist, who examines their blood pressure, measures the body temperature. Then, if there is no contraindication, people go for vaccination. After it, we watch their condition for another half hour, and then we let them go home,” added volunteer Anastassiya Markvart.
Anyone can get the vaccine without an appointment or referral of their doctor. After immunization, people receive a special digital passport, which will allow them to travel freely and without having to take a COVID-19 test.
“I have a job that involves travel. This morning I voluntarily decided to get vaccinated, first of all, in order to protect my family, because family is the most important thing. So I decided to start from myself, tomorrow I’m going to bring my family members, my wife and my daughter, so that they too will be vaccinated in order to be healthy, so they could take care of themselves and their loved ones. I feel good so far, today I received the first dose of the vaccine. It went really well,” noted Ilkhom Giyasov, resident of Nur-Sultan city.
Experts say that the post-vaccine antibody test is taken on the 42nd day after the administration of the first dose of the vaccine, which is six weeks later.
