The Vilnius and Kaunas regions received the same number of vaccines from the first batch: in one of the COVID-19 units, a third of the doctors were enough, in the other – all

Lithuania received the first vaccinations at Christmas, December 26. 9,750 doses were distributed in 2,925 Vilnius and Kaunas counties, in 1950 in Klaipėda counties and 975 doses in Šiauliai and Panevėžys regions.

The first doctors in these regions, especially those working with COVID-19 patients, rushed to get vaccinated the day after receiving these vaccines.

Three shipments are already in Lithuania

The second shipment arrived a week ago on Monday, 10,725 doses of the vaccine arrived in Lithuania.

It was then also announced that the vaccines in this shipment would be used for the second vaccination of medical personnel who had already been vaccinated after the three-week deadline for the second vaccination.

This decision may be reviewed once accurate information is received regarding the timing and size of the third shipment delivery.

The third shipment is already more abundant: according to the Ministry of Health, 20,478 doses were delivered to Lithuania.

Call for faster access to vaccines

It has not been known for a long time when this third shipment will be delivered to Lithuania, prompting mixed reactions.

Dr. Andrius Macas, professor at the Kaunas Clinics of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, wrote a few days ago a kind of New Year’s wish on Facebook, in which he spoke about the need to get more vaccines as soon as possible .

“We have to think about what to do. We don’t need a ‘commander’ as a belt. Many are waiting for vaccines and if they can, line up at night. At night, my doctors call and ask, maybe where did they stay? Four New doses are needed. Here and now. Those who want to be vaccinated will exaggerate those who do not, “the doctor wrote, referring to the overcrowded resuscitation of seriously ill patients, intubated doctors and the results of resuscitation treatment in Europe and the world.

The professor urges that the increasing numbers be used as an argument to try to get vaccines faster:

“First, at least those who want it need a vaccine. For everyone. And I need it now. Not once, not in the plans. We as a country have arguments: our numbers are too big for us. And perhaps all this is not due to government errors in October and November, it is possible that a new mutation of the virus has already spread in Lithuania. Because in London it began to spread to the eastern part of the city, where our Lithuanians and other emigrants from Central and Eastern European countries live. Of course, this has yet to be tested. I agree.

We don’t need a “commander” as a belt. Many are waiting for vaccines, and if they could, they would be waiting in line at night.

By the way, more than 4 thousand compatriots returned during this period, which, as they say, we will definitely have business. So we have the most objective arguments as to why we need the vaccine now: we are the first in Europe. Hard argument. It needs to fly like a flag. The address is “nach Brüssel”.

Want transparency

The doctor also states that there is a need for transparency in the distribution of these vaccines. Mention the differences between the hospitals in the Kaunas and Vilnius regions.

“Secondly, a person in Lithuania needs to know when there will be shipments that we will distribute fairly and transparently. Transparency will be needed. The country’s capital prescribes 200 doses to Alytus, the capital of Dzūkija, although 52,000 people live here, while the temporary capital, at the request of its support hospital in Marijampolė, prescribes 350 (here only 34,000 inhabitants) Do you feel the proportions?

The “not coveted” Varėna (7,900 inhabitants) under the auspices of the capital, if I am not mistaken, did not receive it at all (if I am wrong, I will definitely not correct myself). Under the influence of the temporary capital Šakiai (5000), which is smaller than Varėna, it receives 65. I am in favor of Marijampolė and Šakiai receiving even more. I am in favor of large hospitals being vaccinated en masse with all staff, but can some centers not be vaccinated? After all, there is nothing worse than oppressing the little ones, ”said prof. A. Macas.

More people, vaccines too

However, the doctor of the Kaunas clinics does not mention other numbers: the Santara clinics provided data on the number of doses of vaccines received, if we calculate 100 thousand. population.

The Vilnius region has a population of 954,780 and the Kaunas region has a population of 699,548.

The Vilnius region received 306 doses / 100,000 vaccines. population, Kaunas – 418 doses / 100 thousand. population.

However, both regions received the vaccines equally.

“The Vilnius region has established the highest number of beds for the treatment of patients with COVID-19 disease, almost 1/3 of all beds in Lithuania, it even exceeded the recommendations specified by the SAM. The Santara Clinics, the Vilnius City Clinical Hospital (VMKL) and the University Hospital of the Vilnius Republic (RVUL) are the institutions in the Vilnius region that have established the largest number of COVID beds, the number of beds in they is approximately 80%. Beds of the Vilnius region ”, – such statistics from the Santara clinics.

The Vilnius region received 306 doses / 100,000 vaccines. population, Kaunas – 418 doses / 100 thousand. population.

In addition to the Santara and RVUL Clinics, the M. Marcinkevičius Hospital is the main Vilnius city institution inspecting and providing emergency care to Vilnius City non-COVID-19 (all surgical and therapeutic) and regional (groups of cerebrovascular accidents and heart attacks).

However, although the vaccinated doctors began as soon as the vaccinations were received, they were sufficient for just a third of the staff at the Santara, VMKL, RVUL, M. Marcinkevičius, Alytus and Ukmergė clinics, which have COVID-19 departments.

1895 medical personnel were vaccinated at the Santara clinics.

390 doses of vaccine were sent to Vilnius City Clinical Hospital, 80 doses to M. Marcinkevičius, 250 to Vilnius Republic University, 200 to Alytus Hospital, and 110 doses of vaccine were received to Ukmergė Hospital.

Other hospitals in the Vilnius region that provide care for non-COVID-19 patients have not yet had the opportunity to vaccinate their staff.

The main need in the Kaunas region has been satisfied

Slightly different situation in the Kaunas region.

According to representatives of the Kaunas clinics, hospitals in the region received as many doses of the vaccine as they requested, and a few more.

Only half of the doctors who wanted to be vaccinated were vaccinated at the clinics themselves.

“The vaccination of hospitals in the Kaunas region with the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines was completed today. We are pleased that hospitals have received the full number of vaccinations they requested (100% or more) and that front-line physicians have vaccinated them.

The distribution of vaccines to hospitals in the region followed the recommendations of government health experts and the quantities of vaccines requested by hospitals. Vaccination was performed mainly by those who worked in the COVID-19, emergency room and admissions, resuscitation and intensive care rooms, heart attack, stroke and multiple trauma groups, transplant day hospitals, oncology and hematology, and emergency surgery, endoscopy , anesthesiology, hemestesia, gynecology units ”, – on December 30, when the vaccination of hospitals in the Kaunas region with the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines was completed, Kaunas Clinics indicated in the report.

We are pleased that hospitals have received the full number of vaccinations they requested (100% or more) and that front-line physicians have vaccinated them.

The hospital indicated that all medical institutions in the Kaunas region had individually indicated how many of their employees would be vaccinated with the first batch of vaccines, according to priorities.

1,510 doctors from the Kaunas clinics were vaccinated with the remaining vaccines, which is 38 percent. Kaunas clinic employees who have registered for the first stage vaccination and meet the priorities set by the Government.

According to the hospital, when other vaccine shipments are received, the vaccines will continue to be given first to doctors who are most at risk of COVID-19 and then to everyone else.

According to the list provided by the Kaunas clinics, vaccines were sufficient not only for large hospitals, but also for smaller medical institutions in the region.

The LSMU Kaunas hospital requested 292 vaccines, received 500, the Kėdainiai, Jonava, Jurbarkas, Marijampolė, Prienai, Kaišiadorys, Vilkaviškis, Šakiai hospitals, as much as requested or several more doses.

The COVID-19 department in the Kaunas region has seven hospitals, this list does not include such small medical institutions as Vilkaviškis, Šakiai and Kaišiadorys hospitals, where doctors are already vaccinated.