Azerbaijan to issue COVID-19 vaccination exemption certificates

By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

As of August 9, Azerbaijan will start issuing vaccination exemption certificates for citizens with contraindications to coronavirus vaccines approved for use in the country.

The decision to issue exemption certification was announced in a joint statement issued by Azerbaijan's Health Ministry, State Agency for Compulsory Health Insurance and the Management Union of Medical Territorial Units (TABIB) on August 2.

To receive the certificates, citizens will have to contact polyclinics in the place of their residence and submit to a special commission set up by the Health Ministry information about their ineligibility to receive vaccine jabs. On the basis of the commission's conclusion, a decision will be made to issue a citizen with a "certificate of contraindications."

It is stressed in the statement that the most effective way to fight the spread of COVID-19 is vaccination and that the vaccination process continues throughout the country in line with the "Strategy of vaccination against COVID-19 in Azerbaijan for 2021-2022".

Azerbaijan confirmed its first COVID-19 case on February 28, 2020. The country introduced a special quarantine regime on March 25 and took a number of measures to fight COVID-19 in the country.

The country started vaccinating citizens using China’s Sinovac on January 18, Vaxzevria vaccine produced by AstraZeneca on May 3, Russia’s Sputnik V on May 18 and US-produced Pfizer on June 7. The country started offering COVID-19 vaccination to citizens aged over 18 from May 10. The nationwide vaccination is free and on a voluntary basis and is in line with the “Strategy of vaccination against COVID-19 in Azerbaijan for 2021-2022”.

Under the amendments made to the decision “On measures to extend the special regime and remove some restrictions” in the Cabinet of Minister briefing, as of September 1, residents over 18 will be required to have COVID-19 vaccines for use services of public catering establishments, hotels and large trade centers. COVID-19 passports were first applied as of May 31 for entry to sports and recreational centers and later for entry to concerts and weddings.

Azerbaijan has registered 341,183 COVID-19 cases so far. Some 4,632,349 COVID-19 vaccines have been provided to the citizens to this date. The first dose of the vaccine was given to 2,686,492 citizens, and the second one to 1,945,857 citizens.