Vaccine for Azerbaijan

Thirty-seven countries in the WHO European Region have organized pandemic (H1N1) 2009 vaccine campaigns. Azerbaijan received its first shipment of donated vaccine in early January 2010, and is currently vaccinating target groups including health workers, life support services staff, pregnant women and people with chronic lung disease. WHO has received pledged donations of 199 million doses of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 vaccine from countries and manufacturers. Azerbaijan is one of 8 countries eligible in the European Region to receive the donated vaccine. 

Cold-chain

172,000 doses of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 vaccine arrived by air in Azerbaijan on 8 January 2010. They were received and checked by staff from the Innovation and Supply Centre of the Ministry of Health. 


Quality checks

The vaccine must be kept at a constant temperature between +2 and +8 degrees, to ensure that it remains effective. Officials from the Ministry of Health checked the shipment as it was unloaded for damage and to ensure that cold-chain conditions had been kept. Once it had been transferred to the national cold-storage facility at the Ministry by refrigerated truck, the vaccine underwent a more detailed quality check. After passing the quality checks, it was then re-packed for dispatch to designated health care centres.

In the news

Journalists and film crews were present at the airport to see the arrival of the vaccine. Many journalists have been interested in how the target groups for the vaccine were identified. The Ministry of Health followed WHO advice to identify those who were most at risk from the virus, and who would be able to receive it.

 Many partners

Many international partners have worked together on the vaccine deployment in Azerbaijan, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nation’s Children’s Fund (UNICEF), UNHCR, USAID. RVF, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, AED and the Health Sector Reform Project of the Ministry of Health of Azerbaijan. They have established a UN joint programme, and support the overall coordination of the deployment operation by WHO and the Ministry of Health.

Now in use

A total of 28,183 people in Azerbaijan have now (January 29) been vaccinated against pandemic (H1N1) 2009. As the winter influenza season continues, more people in the target groups will be vaccinated over the coming weeks.