IOM is providing COVID-19 vaccinations in the Armenian capital Yerevan and in remote villages via its mobile health teams, in partnership with the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) of the Ministry of Health.

“Mobile vaccination is one way to reach people residing in communities with limited access to medical providers or in communities where the health care facilities are overloaded,” said Nune Asatryan, IOM's Project Coordinator.

Anna Avagyan, the only paramedic of the medical station in Basen village was delighted with the team's visit.  “Thank you for bringing clinical staff, including nurses, and emergency medical technicians", she said. "People of our village can be vaccinated at the medical centre of the nearby town, however, traveling distance, lack of public transportation, mobility issues, and work and family care schedules make it hard for some people to get vaccinated."

Local man Vahan said “I was afraid of side effects of vaccination. The doctor of the mobile team screened me for contraindications and precautions before administering the vaccine." His neighbour Gohar, noted "besides the vaccination I got free consultation, cardiogram, and sonography."

The mobile vaccination teams have visited more than 100 communities and vaccinated about 5,000 individuals in Armenia.