NUR-SULTAN / ex ASTANA (Xinhua) — Kazakhstan has purchased more than 2 million doses of Russian flu vaccine Grippol Plus and Kazakh Health Minister Alexey Tsoi has been vaccinated, the country’s health ministry said Monday.

Receiving a shot in a clinic in Nur-Sultan (ex Astana) on Monday, Tsoi said this year’s flu vaccination is particularly important given that the coronavirus pandemic can add to seasonal diseases. The minister said the vaccination campaign began two weeks earlier compared to previous years due to difficulties in stabilizing the pandemic.

According to the ministry, flu vaccination in Kazakhstan will be free for children, medical workers, pregnant women, people over 60 years old, and people with chronic diseases. Vaccinations across the country will be carried out beginning Tuesday until mid-November.

As of Monday, Kazakhstan reported 106,855 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 1,671 deaths and 100,627 recoveries.