COVID-19 vaccine has arrived in Lithuania, second shipment expected later this year

You can find out how the COVID-19 vaccine got to Lithuania in the video clip below.

According to A. Dulkis, this is the beginning of a new and significant stage in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I believe that the vaccine will contribute significantly to the management of the pandemic and finally we will all be able to return to a normal life with ease,” said A. Dulkys.

You can watch the video of the press conference below.

According to Jurgita Grebenkovienė, Chancellor of the Ministry of Health (SAM), during the conference a total of 9,750 doses of vaccine arrived in Lithuania: ten boxes of 975 doses of vaccine.

The vaccine received from the Lithuanian border was accompanied by the police and Aro forces. According to J.Grebenkovienė, these security measures were taken taking into account the reports about possible actions and attacks that appeared in other countries. Although there were no specific threats in Lithuania, it was decided to take all security measures to prevent incidents.

The delivered vaccines were transferred to a freezer at the Center for Health Emergencies (CESE), stored there for two hours, and then loaded into specially prepared cars.

On Saturday, they will be transported to the five main hospitals of the country in Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Šiauliai and Panevėžys: Vilnius University Hospital Santara Clinic, Kaunas Clinic of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Klaipėda University Hospital, Šiauliai Republican Hospital , Republican Hospital Panevėžys.

The central hospitals of the Vilnius and Kaunas regions will be reached by about 3 thousand. the first batch of vaccine doses, Central Hospital of the Klaipeda Region – about 2 thousand. vaccine doses, Šiauliai and Panevėžys regional central hospitals – about 1 thousand each. dose.

“The first step is to store the vaccines in a freezer that maintains a cold temperature of 70 degrees. In preparation for vaccination, the required amount of vaccine is removed from that freezer and placed in a freezer at minus 28 degrees, where the vaccine is thawed. It takes about three hours. After three hours and when the vaccine has warmed up, it is diluted with sodium chloride. Five doses of vaccine are mixed from one vial. And accordingly, the staff is vaccinated “, – said J.Grebenkovienė about the vaccination process.

Thawed vaccines can be stored in simple freezers. They must be vaccinated within five days.

Vaccination will start on Sunday

Vaccination will start on Sunday at 8 am at the same time throughout Lithuania, mainly by doctors working in COVID units, emergency departments, intensive care units and resuscitation units.

It is planned to vaccinate the first batch with almost 10,000. Physicians, all doses will be administered to individuals without leaving a reserve for the second dose.

Vaccinations will need to be repeated after three weeks to develop immunity to the coronavirus. Because the second dose will be given 21 days after the first dose, it will be given to physicians on subsequent shipments.

Not only will doctors at 5 major hospitals be vaccinated, but a total of 28 medical staff will be vaccinated.

The second shipment of vaccines is scheduled for December 29. It is expected to be a little higher than the first.

J. Grebenkovienė has not been able to say whether a part of this shipment will be delayed and used as a second dose of vaccine for personnel who have already been vaccinated with the first dose; according to her, this will be decided when more precise schedules for vaccine administration are known.

According to SAM, the third dose could arrive in Lithuania in early January, but this information may still change.

According to J.Grebenkovienė, according to the information available today, Lithuania plans to vaccinate all doctors during the first year of 2021. quarter. Nursing and nursing staff and residents will then be vaccinated, followed by chronic diseases and residents over 65, and finally a mass vaccination of the public.

J. Grebenkovienė said that he could not say when mass vaccination could start, because information on how many vaccines will reach Lithuania in future shipments is constantly changing.

But, according to her, the preliminary figures available show that mass vaccination in the first 2021. the quarter will not start yet.

So far, a similar number of vaccines have reached neighboring countries, Latvia and Estonia.

In total, Lithuania will acquire 1.8 million. Dose of a vaccine jointly developed by BioNTech and Pfizer.

Lithuania has entered into agreements with six vaccine manufacturers and intends to purchase more than 7 million of them. vaccine dose. They should be sufficient to vaccinate at least 70%. population of the country. According to experts, such a proportion of the vaccinated population would guarantee herd immunity against the coronavirus.

You can find more information about vaccines on the website. www.koronastop.lt in a specially designed section: https://koronastop.lrv.lt/lt/duk/skiepai-nuo-covid-19.

For doctors, the period of isolation can be shortened.

The press conference wasn’t just about vaccines. A.Dulkys also expressed gratitude to all the family doctors, laboratory staff, pharmacists, fever clinic employees and polycyclists who worked during the holidays and thus significantly reduced the workload for institutions fighting COVID-19 .

In addition, the Minister of Health announced that due to the shortage of medical personnel, the possibility of treating COVID-19 patients with a wider range of doctors had been legitimized. A wider circle of specialists may also be a nursing assistant. Specialists such as nutritionists, therapists, physiotherapists are included.

A.Dulkys also announced that the isolation period can be shortened for personnel in personal healthcare institutions by ensuring additional testing. The limits have been expanded to assess each case individually.

In addition, the Minister of Health announced that up to 900 extra beds would be provided in rehabilitation hospitals for the treatment of recovering COVID-19 patients.

“We have several cases in which people no longer need oxygen therapy, but care for their health and safety has not yet been provided. This solution will allow people in stable condition to complete COVID treatment in rehabilitation hospitals,” he said A. Dulkys.

More than a thousand people have died since COVID-19

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in specific people in Lithuania is 128,931. The total number of deaths is 1,228. Another 607 people with COVID-19 died from other causes.

Currently, 2,300 COVID-19 patients are treated in hospitals in the country, 194 of them in resuscitation.

Oxygen is required for 1362 patients, artificial lung ventilation – 170.

At present, 6,991 of 16,624 beds are occupied in hospitals and 414 of 684 resuscitation beds are occupied. Of the 635 beds where artificial lung ventilation can be used, 286 are occupied.