A.Dulkys: If significant quantities of vaccines arrive in Lithuania, we will invite politicians and celebrities to get vaccinated in the second quarter

“If those schedules are met and if we get significant amounts of vaccines in the second quarter, I think we will invite politicians, managers and other famous people to get vaccinated and set an example.

I will personally vaccinate AstraZeneca, certainly not another vaccine to allay fears, “said A. Dulkys during the Government’s half hour at Seimas on Tuesday.

He said it was important to start vaccination with the most vulnerable groups after receiving small amounts of vaccines.

Some countries have suspended the use of the COVID-19 vaccine against AstraZeneca for fear that it could increase the risk of clot formation.

Lithuania has only suspended vaccination of a certain consignment.

It is not planned to stop vaccination with AstraZeneca vaccines in Lithuania at least for the time being, said A. Dulkys.

There is no evidence that vaccines increase the risk of clots, he said.

The same, by the way, on Tuesday published by the European Medicines Agency.

“At the moment, I do not have information that allows me, as Minister of Health, to stop the vaccination process with this vaccine. There is no evidence or justification. There is a lot of excitement and anxiety, ”said the minister.

It is certainly irresponsible to stop vaccination for purely political reasons.

“If we get information that is important to the Lithuanian people, it is necessary to stop [skiepijimą], or pause the batch, we will, as we have also suspended the respective shipments from Pfizer and AstraZeneca.

Let’s be transparent. But stopping vaccination for purely political reasons is really irresponsible, “he added.

The number of new cases has not decreased for some time.

Participating in the Government’s half hour in the Seimas on Tuesday, A. Dulkys discussed the main indicators of the COVID-19 pandemic and compared the situation with that in which Lithuania was the leader in Europe in terms of the number of diseases.

“The epidemiological situation is incomparably better than what we had during the winter peak, the excess mortality is under control, we are investing in new testing tools and we believe that we must manage the pandemic with new tools.

But the new strains of the virus are worrying, ”the Minister of Health noted, apparently responding to the fact that the“ British ”strain of coronavirus is spreading in Lithuania, especially in Vilnius and Marijampolė counties.

Speaking about the incidence of COVID-19, A. Dulkys stated that “Lithuania has been overwhelmed, the spread of the virus has slowed down.”

However, the number of new cases has not decreased recently.

We have been stable for almost five weeks, which I am saying without being positive.

“We have had stability for almost five weeks, which I say without being positive. We would like us to go down, but right now the situation is fluctuating and stopped, “said A. Dulkys.

At the same time, the scope of testing is shrinking, although people are encouraged to take prophylactic testing.

“The proportion of tests performed is less than during the peak <...>. Decrease in morbidity, decrease in the number of symptomatic people. [skaičius]who came closer.

Another reason is that we have vaccinated a critical mass of the medical community. It has also reduced the scope of testing, but we have new opportunities, we would like to increase the scope of preventive testing. <...>

It is now possible to test other groups of people prophylactically on mobile sites, “noted A. Dulkys.

You are trying to validate a new test method.

At present, according to him, there are also attempts to validate a new test method in Lithuania – non-invasive surface PCR tests, which is planned to be applied in preschool educational institutions.

A. Dulkys drew attention to the mortality statistics: during this year, during the period of the pandemic in Lithuania, more people died in total than in any other year during the last two decades.

But now the death toll from COVID-19 has reportedly dropped.

“It just came to our attention then North weekly deaths are decreasing, ”said the minister.

But alarming, he said, is the growing number of COVID-19 patients in some cities.

Extra beds will be reopened in Kaunas and Vilnius.

“It just came to our attention then. Extra beds are being reopened in both Kaunas and Vilnius, and employment has started to move towards 70%, which is worrying,” said A. Dulkys.

According to the minister, the COVID-19 vaccination rate in Lithuania is not bad compared to the European Union countries, Lithuania, although vaccination with AstraZeneca vaccines, according to him, “proceeds a little slower” than others.

There are also problems in some vaccination centers.

“The journey from the central warehouse to the vaccination centers is quite fast, but in the later stages we have problems with a faster vaccination in some vaccination centers,” said A. Dulkys, but where those problems are more precise, he did not detail .

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The Chancellor of the Ministry of Health, Jurgita Grebenkovienė, previously stated that the mass vaccination of the country’s population should begin in May and in autumn 70% are expected to be vaccinated. Adults.

President Gitanas Nausėda He said it was possible to do it at noon.