Original title: Dr. Grozdanova: Macedonia will receive vaccines against COVID-19 for only 20% of the population
The portal used the fact that the procurement of vaccines, as well as the vaccination, will take place in stages, in order to make a manipulative claim in the title.
On November 23rd, 2020, the portal Republika published an article titled: Dr. Grozdanova: Macedonia will receive vaccines against COVID-19 for only 20% of the population. Referring to the statement of prof. Dr. Alexandra Grozdanova from the Faculty of Pharmacy at UKIM, who is chair of the Immunization Committee, the portal writes that the agreement with the Kovacs mechanism, signed by our country, provides a total of 800 thousand vaccines, or two doses of the vaccine for a total of 400 thousands of people.
The text also contains the statement of Dr. Grozdanova for MIA: “The first 20 percent envisages immunization first of the risk groups such as health professionals, the chronically ill and the elderly population. Then of course it is planned to purchase additional quantities of vaccines for the rest of the population.”
A text with the title that vaccines will be received for only 20% of the population was published by the portals Infomax and Vecer.
The content of the text correctly transmits the statement of Dr. Grozdanova for MIA, in which she says that the first 20% of vaccines envisage first immunization of risk groups, such as health workers, the chronically ill and the elderly population, and then it is planned to procure additional quantities of vaccines for the rest of the population.
However, the title emphasizes that these are vaccines supposedly for only 20% of the population. Therefore, it is a manipulative twist / spin of the statement of Dr. Grozdanova, who explicitly states that it is about the “first 20%” because after the first contingent, it is planned to purchase additional quantities of vaccines for the rest of the population.
Speaking about the state of our country in the process of procurement contracts in a recent interview for “360 degrees”, the Minister of Health, Venko Filipce, emphasized the following: “Expert recommendations are that the risk groups should be vaccinated first – senior citizens, chronic patients, 20% of the total population, that will already create a type of immunity that can change the picture of the epidemic in our country, i.e. the pandemic. Wherever you apply, in any country, the concept would be the same. We have applied for 400 thousand citizens, i.e. 20% of the population, for now it is estimated that there are 2 doses, which means 800 thousand vaccines should arrive in our country. ”
Conclusion:
The title of the article is an attempt to manipulate the public aimed at inciting dissatisfaction and mistrust in the health care institutions, as well as fear and panic that a small number of vaccines will allegedly be procured and there will not be enough for everyone. The institutions are dedicated to dealing with the corona virus and of course their efforts include immunizing the population with vaccines and using all possible resources available to them to normalize life, normalize the system and get out of this crisis faster.
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