"We have enough vaccines for the people who need to be vaccinated and, above all, for those who concern us most, who are at higher risk, which are the elderly, namely those over 85 years of age," said Ana Paula Martins, in Portimão.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a visit to Portimão Hospital, the minister assured that “there may be” health centres that are running out of stock, highlighting that in others, “there may be a surplus of vaccines,” leading to a redistribution of vaccines among health units.

Ana Paula Martins said that vaccination is being carried out “at a very fast pace and on a large scale, aiming to reach the 85% levels of last year, and it is natural that some health centres may indeed have reduced stocks.”

“I don’t have detailed information from ULS (Local Health Unit) to ULS, but the executive director is monitoring this situation along with the State Health Secretariat and we will ensure that there is no shortage of vaccines,” she stressed.

For the head of the Health Ministry, “it is not in question” that a citizen might want to get vaccinated or need to get vaccinated and not have it available at this time: “That is absolutely out of the question.”

Ana Paula Martins is on a tour of the Local Health Units across the country, as part of the National Health Service's (SNS) preparation for the winter period.