Expand the list of people to be vaccinated against COVID-19: it is clear who will be next in line

Next week – vaccinations for teachers

According to Lukas Galkus, specialist of the Division of Electronic Health Systems and Information Technology of the Ministry of Health, in almost all municipalities at least one vaccine has already been received by other health workers, as well as by health care personnel. and infirmary and care rooms. .

Vaccination of the remaining health workers and health and nursing staff and their wards will begin this week with the second dose of the vaccine.

“It is expected that the vaccination of employees of educational institutions can begin next week: employees of preschool, preschool and primary education, those who have contact with students. In addition, the vaccination of cancer patients, which is also likely to start next week. They will be followed by the elderly and with comorbidities, “said Delfi ryto’s interlocutor about the vaccination sequence.

Vaccination peaks are scheduled for April

According to L. Galkus, it is natural that with such a high demand for vaccines in the world, the reception of vaccines is not as fast as everyone would like.

However, according to Galkus, the information of the last days shows that the negotiating positions of the European Union have ensured the reception of vaccines. Vaccine supplies to all European Union countries are likely to be more even now.

The SAM representative has no answer on how many vaccines Lithuania would need in February to comply with President Gitanas Nausėda’s plan to vaccinate 70% in July. Lithuanian population. However, the vaccination peak is expected to be reached in April.

“Manufacturers have plans [per vasarį ir kovą] administer more than a couple hundred thousand doses of the vaccine. In that case, we could vaccinate about 100,000 people. In communication with growers, we see that a larger and intensive supply should start in April, vaccination should gain momentum and even peak in April. And both March and February will be relatively quiet when we get a couple hundred thousand doses, ”said L. Galkus.

Ensures there will be no shortage of storage space for vaccines

According to the Delfi ryto interlocutor, Lithuania is currently well prepared to store vaccines, both those that require extremely low temperatures and those that do not.

A SAM representative recalled that the equipment to store Moderna and Pfizer vaccines is provided by the Emergency Center and hospitals in 5 major cities.

“These hospitals also have the necessary freezers and can store the vaccine if it is inconvenient to store it in the Emergency Center or you run out of space there. Also, some clinics have already purchased or are planning to purchase freezers. Therefore, we will not face such a situation where the vaccine is not stored anywhere, ”assured L. Galkus.

According to L. Galkus, vaccination is currently carried out in 5 main hospitals and municipal vaccination centers. Each municipality has at least one vaccination center of its own. There are currently 68 such centers in Lithuania, but there may be more.

“Effective vaccination requires that as many people as possible participate in the vaccination. Regarding pharmacies, the law provides that new pharmacists are vaccinated only from March 1, and solutions will still be sought here, as it will also depend of the vaccine.

For those who need special storage specifications, pharmacies may not be suitable for vaccination, but now more and more new vaccines are being registered, so it is likely that pharmacists can work with them, ”said the interviewee.

A SAM spokesperson asks people to report suspicious vaccination offers, a fraudulent scam.