Moldova will buy 10,000 meningitis vaccine doses in 2026, with 11.5 million lei allocated by CNAM
The Moldovan authorities plan to purchase 10,000 doses of meningitis vaccine in 2026. To achieve this, the National Health Insurance Company (CNAM) will allocate 11.5 million lei.
The meningococcal vaccine was included for the first time in the National Immunization Program of the Republic of Moldova, following a recent decision by the Government.
Starting this year, health authorities will launch a transition period during which parents can choose to voluntarily vaccinate their children against meningitis. The aim of this period is to inform both medical personnel and parents about the benefits of the vaccine, while also providing gradual protection for the most vulnerable children.
In the long term, the authorities plan to make this vaccine mandatory once the National Immunization Program for the period 2028–2032 is updated. Under this plan, vaccination will be fully funded by the state budget.
Experts emphasize that vaccination is the safest way to prevent serious forms of meningitis and reduce the risks to children's lives.
It is important to note that during the Government meeting on July 30, amendments were approved to the National Immunization Program (NIP) for the period 2023–2027. According to the new regulations, the meningococcal vaccine will be gradually introduced and administered to children starting at six months of age, but only upon parental request.
Earlier in July, Moldovan authorities announced that they had not been able to procure any doses of the meningitis vaccine, despite allocating 5 million lei for the purchase of 5,000 doses this year.
Health Minister Ala Nemerenco explained that the lack of suppliers is due to the small size of the Moldovan market, which does not attract much interest from manufacturers. As a result, the Medicines Agency started direct negotiations with the largest vaccine manufacturer, which is willing to sell the vaccine only under a long-term contract.
In the past decade, over 220 cases of meningococcal infection have been reported in the Republic of Moldova, most of which were in children under two years old. The mortality rate for these infections is 23%, leading to over 50 deaths.
