In private medical centers in Chisinau, the hepatitis B vaccine is 30 times more expensive than announced by the Ministry of Health. Asked by Info-Prim Neo to explain this difference, Moldova's chief virologist Constantin Spanu said that the Ministry announced producer’s prices and didn’t consider the fees charged by private medical centers. At a press conference on the occasion of World Hepatitis Day, Constantin Spanu said that preventing the disease was much easier that curing it. He declared that vaccines for adults cost around 10 lei and would be available at any private medical center. Only 3 of the 16 centers contacted by Info-Prim Neo confirmed they provided such services. However, the price ranged from 230 to 300 lei for adults. The inoculation requires three doses administered at intervals of 2 or 6 months. Even though the government committed to provide children with free vaccines against hepatitis B, private centers offer children’s inoculation at 200 lei. Constantin Spanu, the Ministry of Health’s main virologist, told Info-Prim Neo that the production cost of hepatitis B vaccine, when made by big companies, was about 10-14 lei, but private centers charged additionally for the provided services. “The Ministry of Health doesn’t monitor the activity of private medical centers and doesn’t regulate their prices”, he said. “The treatment of hepatitis B patient can cost up to €15,000. I think the vaccine is anyway much cheaper than the treatment”, Spanu added. In Moldova, children and persons in risk groups are immunized for free. These groups include doctors who treat hepatitis B patients and surgeons. According to the Ministry of Health figures, yearly in Moldova there are registered 5,000 people with chronic hepatitis B and hepatic cirrhosis of viral etiology. 3,000 people die and 200 become invalids. This year is the first time when World Hepatitis Day is observed in Moldova.