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Vytautas, 76, from Vilnius, received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday. The vaccine was administered by AstraZeneca.
“That last Tuesday was really memorable for me, I would say. I got up early in the morning, came, I was still hoping that it would be announced that there would be no vaccination because another country had given up on that vaccine in AstraZeneca. I did not receive any messages from the polyclinic, I came, the polyclinic received it very well, I did not even feel it when they gave me the vaccine. Everything went well, I go home, at lunch I hear that Health Minister Dulkys is talking about vaccinating AstraZeneca himself, the man recalled.
At night, Vytautas hears an unexpected message: the same minister announces that vaccination with AstraZeneca will be suspended. The reason for this decision was the recommendation of the State Agency for Drug Control regarding the formation of three undesirable symptoms: blood clots. That is why a chain of European countries, including neighboring Latvia, announced a temporary suspension of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
“It just came to our notice then. The first impression was that I thought: I’m glad I fell on that last train, that I managed to get vaccinated. On the other hand, I wonder if I’m not involved in any dirty process.
Didn’t I fall somewhere on the point? Although I am optimistic anyway and I still think that everything will be fine, even more so because I had no consequences for those side effects, where there was a lot of fear here, ”Vytautas shared his doubts.
Is the situation difficult to handle?
The European Medicines Agency announced late Thursday that the AstraZeneca vaccine is safe and effective, with very few blood clots after vaccination. Shortly after the press conference, Health Minister Arūnas Dulkys announced that the vaccination with AstraZeneca will be renewed from Friday.
“Health professionals report serious events and other post-vaccination events that are closely monitored by our State Drug Enforcement Service. In turn, we encourage the public to consult their family doctor if they feel unpleasant or unexpected signs and symptoms after vaccination, ”explained A. Dulkys about the decision.
Reviewer Vytautas Bruveris says the government’s changing decisions were triggered by a difficult situation. However, these rulers have shown that the situation is difficult to handle.
Here the minister did not have good options. Whether he had not stopped the vaccination, or if he had stopped that vaccination, he had no good chances, for the sole reason that he himself stated very clearly, categorically, loudly and publicly a few hours ago and the Prime Minister himself a few hours before that decision.
By taking very categorical positions, a very clear position in such a sensitive and unpredictable situation simply shows that they are not politically astute enough or very aware of the situation in the sector they control, in the system they control, ”explained the policy reviewer. .
The vaccine looks crooked
Public skepticism about vaccines, and AstraZeneca in particular, is hard to dispel. In some municipalities, AstraZeneca vaccines are just piling up. For example, 730 doses of this vaccine are still intact in Šalčininkai. Residents make no secret of their fears about AstraZeneca.
“Even when we call people to ask for a vaccine, to agree on a date, a time, people immediately ask what vaccine the vaccine will be.” If we say we don’t know much, it still says “AstraZeneca” … We will vaccinate what we have, but AstraZeneca will not vaccinate, “said Jolanta Černiavskienė, a doctor from the Šalčininkai municipality.
“Most said they were scared. If you say Pfizer, Moderna, everyone is very willing to agree. So they say I’ll talk to another neighbor. But most of the time, they say, the neighbor will look at how I feel, and then the neighbor will leave ”, warns the doctor about the caution of the population.
Cheaper, not necessarily worse
Infectious disease specialist Saulius Čaplinskas emphasizes that the AstraZeneca vaccine only differs in terms of production technology, but this does not mean that it is inferior to vaccines from other manufacturers.
This does not mean that, say, AstraZeneca, if it is much cheaper, like Modern and Pfizer, is much inferior. Made simply for other technologies, but also at other prices. But those technologies, known for a long time, many and many vaccines are developed on this basis.
According to communication specialist Aidas Puklevičius, both now and later it will be difficult to reduce the skepticism of part of the population about vaccines.
“The same thing always comes up here as in brands. There is someone who, from what I heard, may be better. There is one thing that may not be right, everything wants, sure, sure, well, because they fear that if they get vaccinated not so well, it will – I don’t even know – the hair will not grow. come back or the opposite sex won’t love or anyone else. This is where such a tangle of superstitions, emotional stereotypes and thought patterns begins, that I am afraid no government in the world has mistaken it for a successful information campaign, ”said A. Puklevičius.
Changes in vaccination procedures.
Since Friday, more innovations have emerged in vaccinating people.
“The first is that from now on, residents will be able to choose a vaccine from the different vaccines at the vaccination center at that time. If the desired vaccine is not available, the population will be contacted later. That is, from now on, everyone is free to decide if they want to be vaccinated with AstraZeneca. The second change is that from now on, the vaccination center will be able to carry out the vaccination more quickly…, so I will sign this procedure.
The third change is that vaccines will be distributed to vaccination centers, municipalities not only according to the population of a certain priority group, but also according to the vaccination rates of that vaccination center. The fourth change: if it happens that some municipalities do not use the doses of vaccines delivered, their redistribution to other municipalities and other vaccination centers will be considered ”, A. Dulkys presented the innovations.
On Monday, President Gitanas Nausėda, Seimas President Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė and A. Dulkys were vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine. According to the latest data, more than 110 thousand people in Lithuania have received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, and more than 270 thousand people are waiting for the second vaccine.
