Over 80% of UN Moldova staff have taken the COVID-19 vaccine

“No one is safe until everyone is safe - this is what we believe at the UN in Moldova,” says Simon Springett, the Resident Coordinator of UN Moldova.“At some point, we even had doubts if the doses to be received through the UN COVID-19 Vaccination Programme would be enough for everyone. But today, at the completion of the process I must say I am proud of my team for deciding to get immunized with the vaccine that was available to them.” 

A recent survey by UN Moldova on COVID-19 perception and return to work shows that over 80% of the staff have taken the complete cycle of COVID-19 vaccination while another 13% plan to be vaccinated in the nearest future.Almost half of the staff have received the vaccine through the UN System-wide COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, while the rest used other vaccination platforms available to them.  

“For us, being immunized means that we can continue delivering on our mandates and implementing activities to support the country to recover from the impact of the pandemic,” concludes Simon Springett.

Lockdown, social distancing, working from home and trying to balance it with family responsibilities were among the biggest challenges faced by most of the UN Moldova employees. One-third of all staff in Moldova had also a PCR-confirmed case of Covid-19 in the last year.

“I will never forget the year 2020. It proved to me once again that you need to believe in yourself, even in the most difficult times,” recalls Roman Odesschii, Administrative and Finance Associate at UNFPA Moldova, who joined the team during lockdown period.

Though it was a difficult period for many of us, we managed to overcome it and even learn some new skills as is the case of Emilia Rusu, Project Officer from UN Women.

“Despite the challenges, the pandemic taught me a lot. I acquired new abilities, new management and logistic skills while my computer literacy improved,” she says. “I have learned how to ensure work-life balance.”

To organize the process of UN staff vaccination in such a short time was possible due to the support of local and HQ colleagues, recalls Svetlana Plamadeala, UNAIDS Country Manager and coordinator of the UN staff vaccination process: “We explained in detail the vaccination process to our staff starting with the registration and ending with the vaccination certificate delivery. As a result, the process went smoothly for both shots.”

Additionally, two town hall meetings were organized and a compilation of FAQs about COVID-19 and vaccination advantages were shared with all staff well in advance.

“When the good news came, I felt cared for and relieved that things are soon to get back to normal while continuing to follow public health guidelines,” remembers Liuba Brinzoi, Project Associate at UNDP Moldova.

“Vaccination is the only safe and helpful way to avoid spreading of the disease and of course it saves lives. By getting vaccinated, I am confident that I will protect myself and at the same time those around me. I expect that life will go back to normal and will return to our old offline habits and then to be able to celebrate properly!” concludes Emilia Rusu.