Kaunas Clinics – On preparing for medical vaccination against COVID-19: 70% agree to get vaccinated. workers

During the remote press conference, Šarūnas Mačinskas, head of the Kaunas Clinics Outpatient Coordination Service, stated that the Kaunas clinics, only after starting to talk about vaccines, began to think about how vaccination would be necessary. Work has been intensified recently with the dissemination of the Pfizer vaccine, which will reach specific languages ​​about Lithuania.

“The Kaunas Clinics are responsible for organizing COVID-19 disease treatment services in the Kaunas region. Kaunas Clinics organizes and communicates with the leading institutions providing personal inpatient healthcare services operating in this region. Yesterday, the Ministry of Health presented the decision that 5 organizing Lithuanian institutions will be responsible not only for the vaccination of their specialists, but will also have to organize the vaccination of all employees of personal health care institutions in the region. Today, we have started preparations at full speed for this work, which is scheduled to start on December 27. We still don’t know the exact time we will do it, “said Š.Mačinskas.

According to him, the Kaunas clinics have the necessary conditions and means for this work. Freezers, for example, can maintain temperatures above -80 degrees.

Employees of other personal health facilities in the region will be vaccinated at the workplace. The Kaunas clinics will supervise the vaccine and vaccination, its transport.

“Our staff will supervise the procedures and collect the used containers. Vaccination and data collection should be carried out by employees of these institutions,” explained the representative of the Kaunas clinics.

Kaunas clinics are ready to start work at any time.

“We could also start vaccinating tomorrow,” said S. Mačinskas.

He agrees to vaccinate 70 percent. workers

He said he did not know exactly how many vaccines the Kaunas region would receive and which of the five organizing hospitals in Lithuania would receive the vaccines first.

Last Friday, December 18, Kaunas Clinics interviewed just over 7 thousand people. your employees. Just over 70 percent. He immediately expressed his desire to be vaccinated against COVID-19. They expressed their will by registering for the vaccination procedure. According to Š.Mačinskas, the number is large enough and is not yet final. This number is likely to increase with the introduction of public vaccines. For example, only 10-15% are vaccinated against influenza. workers.

Doctors who do not have any immunity to the COVID-19 virus will be vaccinated first. Those who have relapsed with COVID-19 will also be vaccinated later. Vaccination of those who recover is recommended due to stronger and longer-lasting immunity.

“Priorities are set on which employees should get vaccinated first. Priority lists are created. The Kaunas clinics will initially vaccinate employees working in the COVID-19 unit (30 beds), then intensive care health professionals, emergency department personnel, both adults and children, staff, doctors and healthcare professionals who provide services during which many aerosols are formed, that is, working in a high-risk space.

Not only doctors will be vaccinated, but also nurses and cleaners. Also support staff. Everyone who works in a specific department, regardless of their position, “he said.

When asked if such mass vaccination is a big challenge and which parts of that challenge are the most difficult, Š.Mačinskas assured that it is nevertheless a feasible challenge.

“Vaccines of such a volume that 70% must be vaccinated. Lithuanian populations may not have existed. A similar vaccine was perhaps in 2005, when there was a dangerous strain of the flu. Up to two flu shots were given during the same season. I remember from practice that I had to get vaccinated that season with both the standard flu vaccine and the new flu. Clearly 70 percent. volumes of vaccination we never aspire to. The work will be a little more intense, but not new. The challenge is not greater for the institution, but for those who ensure logistics due to the so-called cold chain, ”said a representative of the Kaunas clinics.

Vaccines will arrive in Lithuania on December 26

As announced by the Ministry of Health on December 21, the first shipment of coronavirus vaccines will arrive in Lithuania on December 26. Vaccination will begin on December 27. The vaccines will be delivered periodically, according to an agreed schedule, to all countries of the European Union.

Doctors working in health centers will be vaccinated first. In the second phase, vaccines will be administered to staff and patients in treatment facilities that provide supportive care and nursing care. These groups should be vaccinated during the first quarter of the year. The public will then be invited to vaccinate after vaccination of the priority groups.

Here, the Kaunas City Municipality has already provided a venue for this: Kaunas Central Post Office building in Laisvės Alley. According to the Kaunas government, up to 1,400 people could be vaccinated here per day. A team assembled by the Kaunas Polyclinic will work at the universal vaccination site, ensuring a smooth and safe vaccination process.

It is expected that after the start of the mass vaccination, residents who want to be vaccinated must register in a specially designed system and arrive at the place at the appointed time.

Special freezers and facilities to store COVID-19 vaccines are expected, some other measures are expected, the Health Ministry reported on Tuesday. The two ultra low freezers (-75 degrees) will only be used for the BioNTech and Pfizer vaccines, which require very low temperatures.

The European Commission officially approved the distribution of a pandemic coronavirus vaccine developed by BioNTech and Pfizer in the European Union on Monday. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended this step.

It is planned to deliver 9,750 doses of vaccine to Lithuania on Saturday, which would be enough to vaccinate 5,000. people because two doses of vaccine are needed.