Kyrgyzstan: Which Vaccine is Safer and Does Aconite Treat from Coronavirus?

Now Kyrgyzstan is carrying out the 1^st phase of vaccination. It is available only to certain groups of people who are in the high risk group because of their work. Such groups include workers of the healthcare system, educational, system, law enforcement bodies, border and customs services.

However, since the Chinese vaccine, SinoPharm, is not popular among people, it is available to anyone who wants to get vaccinated.

Kyrgyzstan has 62 temporary vaccine sites across the country.

For a full list of locations and contact phones, please follow the link.

You can register online for a COVID-19 vaccination in Bishkek:

• Family Medicine Centre No. 4,
• Family Doctors Group No. 35,
• Railway hospital,
• Family Medicine Centre No. 1,
• Family Medicine Centre No. 7,
• Family Medicine Centre No. 2,
• Family Medicine Centre No. 3,
• Family Medicine Centre No. 5,
• Family Medicine Centre No. 19,
• Family Medicine Centre No. 6,
• Family Medicine Centre No. 14,
• Family Medicine Centre No. 8,
• Policlinic for builders (City Centre for Medical and Consulting Services and Emergency Medical Services),
• Family Medicine Centre No. 9,
• Policlinic for students,
• Family Doctors Group No. 33,
• Family Medicine Centre No. 13.

To register online, you should:

1. Follow the link emed.gov.kg;
2. Select “Electronic queue”;
3. Fill out the fields, select the preferred vaccination location;
4. Select the appropriate date and time for vaccination;
5. Then, download the ticket to your mobile phone and produce it, if necessary.

According to the health ministry, the functions will be constantly expanded based on the needs. In a short time, one can register for vaccination online via a mobile app.

Kyrgyzstan has received 150 thousand doses of the Chinese vaccine, SinoPharm, free of charge. They are enough to vaccinate 75 thousand citizens because a person must take two shots of the vaccine with 21 days of interval between them.

On May 12, after the minister of foreign affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic, Ruslan Kazakbaev, visited China, the World Bank was reported to allocate 20 million dollars to Kyrgyzstan to support their fight against the coronavirus infection. The government will use this money to procure the SinoPharm vaccine.

Moreover, the republic has received 40 thousand doses of the Russian Sputnik V. 35 thousand doses were purchased at 10 dollars each, and 5 thousand doses were received as the humanitarian aid. Following the same principle, they are enough to vaccinate only 20 thousand people. 20 thousand doses more are expected to arrive at the end of May as the third supply.

The AstraZeneca vaccine is expected to arrive at the end of May – early July, as well. Kyrgyzstan will receive it free of charge under the COVAX Facility. The batch will contain 405 thousand doses. It will be used to vaccinate just a little more than 200 thousand people.

According to the May 8 data, over 41 thousand people were vaccinated against the coronavirus infection since the beginning of the vaccination campaign, including 5.3 thousand people who were vaccinated with the second dose.

The second phase will be the vaccination of people who are at highest risk to develop severe forms of ilnesses, namely the elderly older than 65 years.

The procedure of vaccination is related to the fact that the elderly usually have more severe forms of COVID-19 compared to other age categories. This will reduce the burden on the healthcare system and hospitals.

However, the elderly can get the SinoPharm vaccine even today. This is because the Kyrgyzstanis are in no hurry to get the Chinese vaccine. Therefore, there’s the surplus of the vaccine.

The third phase will cover vulnerable groups of people and all those who wish.

In fact, manufacturers declare various degrees of efficacy. However, it is rather the marketing policy.

Sputnik V is more hyped than the Chinese vaccine. In addition, the Kyrgyzstanis trust the Russian vaccine more. Actually, both vaccines have shown good results and the people who were vaccinated with SinoPharm feel good.

Despite the statement of health minister Alymkadyr Beishenaliev that the aconite (Aconítum soongáricum or aconite, or Issyk-Kul root) is effective, we should take this information critically. The fact is that the pharmacological properties should be tested to confirm the efficacy of the aconite in treatment of the new coronavirus infection. However, no tests have been performed so far.

The World Health Organisation has no information about the efficacy and safety of Aconítum soongáricum in treating COVID-19. Therefore, WHO urges people not to self-treat and immediately contact medical workers if any symptoms of COVID-19 develop.

It is important to say that aconite is a poisonous plant and its use can lead to death.

No, children cannot be vaccinated against coronavirus. This is because they have not been involved in clinical trials. It is still unknown how the vaccine affects the children under 18 years old.

Clinical trials of vaccines in children have higher safety profile. Particular companies try to carry out such trials, but no official results have been provided so far.

There are contraindications concerning individual reactions. In addition, vaccines to the people with heart diseases and diabetes are administered with special care.

In particular cases, a person may be suggested not to get vaccinated until their health improves as required.

The vaccines are always developed fast under technologies that have been tested for decades on other vaccines. The main types of vaccine are live-attenuated, inactivated, recombinant, peptide, and messenger RNA.

So far, Kyrgyzstan has not recorded any lethal case as a direct cause of the coronavirus vaccination. However, one should consult a physician before getting vaccinated if they have a severe chronic illness.

In fact, this information is unreliable. Today, there are many rumours about the short-time efficacy of the vaccines.

However, no one knows about it for sure. Mass vaccination started less than six months ago and there is no information available about how the virus affects those who were vaccinated six months and more ago.

At least 70 per cent of the population, or 3 million Kyrgyzstanis, must be vaccinated. However, the example of Chile proves that this may not be enough. Thus, the more Kyrgyzstanis get vaccinated, the better.

As of today, Kyrgyzstan has reached the agreement about receiving 1.5 million doses. This is enough to vaccinate 750 thousand people, whereas the required minimum is 3 million people. In other words, the vaccine agreement covers only 25 per cent.

All other citizens can get vaccinated after all the others. Given the delays in vaccine supplies to Kyrgyzstan, it can happen in September.

According to the law of the Kyrgyz Republic, the vaccination of citizens must be funded by the state. However, given the budget gap, the government considers a possibility of commercial vaccination of people.

In this case, all medical facilities will need to confirm their qualifications and capability to perform the vaccination as there are certain requirements to the vaccine storage.

It all depends on the vaccine that a person chooses. Today, Kyrgyzstan buys Sputnik V for 20 dollars (a two-dose vaccine). AstraZeneca costs 50 dollars (a two-dose vaccine), SinoPharm costs 31 dollars. Kyrgyzstan receives the last two vaccines free of charge as the humanitarian aid from the World Bank and under the COVAX Facility.

According to the health ministry of Kyrgyzstan, vaccination with Sputnik V will be on a paid basis, but the final price is to be determined. People older than 65 years with chronic illnesses, physicians, teachers and police officers will get this vaccine free of charge.