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Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė is cautious about the optimistic forecasts expressed by President Gitanas Nausėda after the European Council (EVS) that the new supply plans for the COVID-19 vaccine in the EU provide the opportunity to vaccinate by 70% in midsummer. Lithuanian population.
In an interview with Elta, the head of government, responding to the question of whether the declared ambition of the president’s vaccination has become more defined for her, pointed out that it does not make sense why we should “juggle” with numbers and terms. I. Šimonytė points out that the quantities of vaccines that will reach Lithuania and other EU countries will depend on the vaccine manufacturers.
“The political statements are political statements. However, we get the actual amounts from the producers. And those amounts are still unstable,” I. Šimonytė told Eltai.
“It is very clear that the government’s task is very simple: as soon as possible, as much as possible and as much as possible. If we can get 70 percent, it will be 70 percent, and if we get 80 percent. – this is 80 percent. In reality, no one does and will not keep vaccines in stock. We have a great interest in providing people with maximum protection as soon as possible. So I don’t see much point in juggling numbers, terms, etc. ”Emphasized the Prime Minister.
According to her, Lithuania is willing to accept and implement all vaccines that have arrived in the country, and that vaccination plans and, if necessary, their renewal will depend on the amount of vaccines that reach the country.
“The Ministry of Health has announced the vaccination schedule, when separate groups will be vaccinated. If the situation changes, new knowledge emerges about additional supplies or new vaccines, then that plan is very easy to update. And that’s it. What we will get: everything and it will be diluted as quickly as physically possible, ”summarized I. Šimonytė.
President Nausėda announced Thursday after the EVS meeting that a new COVID-19 vaccine supply plan has been approved in the first and second quarters of this year. In the first, the EU will receive 100 million. vaccine doses, 480 million in the second. dose.
According to him, this provides for the possibility that Lithuania, applying the pro rata principle, will receive 600 thousand in the first quarter. vaccine doses and a second 3 million.
“I think both the EU plan and Lithuania’s ambitious target to vaccinate 70% by midsummer.” the adult population is real, ”said G. Nausėda.
On Friday, he reiterated to LRT television that there are preconditions to achieve the goal set, and the dissemination of new varieties of COVID-19 simply forces to do so.
“We Lithuanians are, let’s set ourselves an ambitious goal, because today vaccination is the most important tool to fight a pandemic (…). The more time we spend sticking our throats out of this pandemic, the greater the risk of more strains, and the less guarantees that all vaccines will be effective. Therefore, we must hurry, it is in the vital interest of all of us, ”G. Nausėda told LRT television in an interview on Friday.
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