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Current Health Minister Arūnas Dulkys and Shadow Minister Aurelijus Veryga discussed quarantine restrictions and the pandemic situation in the country on the Lietuvos rytas Oponentai television program.
AstraZeneca no longer promises any changes
After recent information that certain quantities of vaccines had been spilled, Minister A. Dulkys stated that this is natural in the pharmacy.
“I appreciate it very normally because I know all the complete information. The amounts that have been recovered are very small and for very different reasons. Both in the pharmacy and in the health system, utilization is very normal, “said A. Dulkys to the host of the Rimvydas Paleckis program.
He added that some vaccination centers have broken bottles for transport or logistics reasons, and there are very few discarded vaccines for other reasons.
Commenting on the current vaccination regimen, the minister said that vaccine quantities are not yet high enough to allow vaccination to anyone who expresses a wish.
“Organizing a live queue process for such a small number of people would only add to the confusion, and when mass vaccination begins, the problem will be solved automatically,” he said.
Former Minister A.Veryga considered that if he had made such decisions himself, public opinion would have reacted much more fiercely.
“I think there would be immediate doubts of mistrust in the Seimas, so I would not agree with my fellow minister that this should be considered normal, even if it is a small amount of vaccines to use,” said the former minister.
“A single dose should not be ruled out, as even a single dose can protect against infection, complications and even death,” he added.
Although Germany recently announced that only people over 65 will be vaccinated with AstraZeneca, Dulkys said no new decisions regarding the vaccine are planned in Lithuania after the latest findings from the European Medicines Agency.
For his part, the shadow Health Minister, A.Veryga, said that the temporary suspension of AstraZeneca was a mistake that caused more harm than good.
“I am very sorry that this time the minister lacked concrete and concrete knowledge that did not allow him to make decisions. I think the suspension has eroded confidence in the vaccine.
I would recommend to the Minister that he consult not only with the Drug Control Service but also with immunologists before such a decision is made. There will always be some risk when making a decision, but in my opinion, stopping vaccination has done much more harm than good, ”said A. Veryga.
Sputnik probably not needed
Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė previously stated that Lithuania would not use the Sputnik V vaccine developed by Russia. Asked whether the approval of the European Medicines Agency would change this situation, both ministers said that the vaccine would not be necessary, at least for now.
“The world has long ceased to be a state and, in some respects, the map is already an area of influence for companies and corporations. <...> Whatever the issue, be it climate change or pharmacy, interests will emerge sooner or later.
And for Lithuania, I am calm enough. For the sake of objectivity, I want to say that the previous government did the right thing and diversified certain vaccines, and we continue to do so, and currently the vaccine portfolio reserved by the Lithuanian government is well diversified both in terms of vaccine types. and amounts ”, said the Minister.
“We have already reserved more than 10 million units of various vaccines, so there is no need to talk about it at this stage,” added A. Dulkys.
A.Veryga also supported him, considering that the discussions about the Russian vaccine only arouse additional passions.
“It just came to our attention then. Lithuania has built up a fairly large portfolio of vaccines, and Russia itself, to my knowledge, was looking for places in Europe to produce the Sputnik vaccine. Here are more questions to stir up passions.” may be playing here are the eastern regions of our country, where he is expected to receive that Russian vaccine, “said A. Veryga.
A.Veryga: there is a level to which society can still be compressed
According to the former Minister of Health A.Veryga, although the restrictions implemented during Easter and other holidays were logical, on other days they are excessive.
“I think it was really illogical to keep those closings until Easter, because the problem is not the trip itself, but what happens afterwards. Then people become unmotivated and start not following certain things. I urge and suggest not to wait for the decisions of the European Union, “he said.
When evaluating some comments that people can travel abroad on vacation but cannot travel between municipalities, the minister explained that travelers pay a certain price.
“Imagine the situation: now, to go from Kaunas to Klaipeda, you would have to take a test, and when you want to go back, you would have to take a test again and be in self-isolation for 14 days. These are exactly the rules that work for those who go elsewhere,
We invite you to refrain from traveling, but people still want to move, so you have to pay another price for life’s hassles, ”said A. Dulkys.
According to former Minister A.Veryga, the restrictions on movement could certainly have been released.
“Those restrictions, especially on movement, even when they were released, were too tiring for the people. People lack logic not only because of foreigners, but also because of the MAMA awards themselves. If they had done it with scientists as a pilot project, it would not have caused any resentment to anyone.
It is possible to think this way in other areas as well, it is possible to plan, and this would generate a sense of justice and a desire for people to follow those restrictions, ”said A. Veryga.
“It just came to our notice then. Later, beyond that threshold, the public just begins to ignore those requirements. Let’s recall situations where hairdressers have already started walking home to do haircuts for the unscathed, people. moved in before last weekend because Saturday couldn’t be.
I understand that there is a risk, but not seeing the state of mind of society, not seeing that it is tired, it reacts differently, it may have a different strategy, but it is also necessary to evaluate how society will react to it, how it will evaluate ”, he added.
