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Mayor Zdislav Palevič’s idea would be very welcome, if not one “but”. The question is, is it good that, in the name of good intentions, the mayor has seized an opportunity that did not belong to him?
Mayor: If there are any complaints, I will be responsible for that.
“I wanted to encourage people in my area to get all vaccinated. Because in my deep conviction, they are safe and effective, but some people are quite skeptical. We have to set an example (…) when such a situation arose throughout the republic due to vaccination against AstraZeneca, there was a lot of discussion and our leaders made such a decision (vaccinate – aut., – explained the reasons for the vaccination campaign in the district to the news portal lrytas.lt explained the mayor of the Šalčininkai district, Zdislav Palevič.
He said he saw the need to take action on the AstraZeneca vaccine. “At the highest level, we have seen very vague and vague communication. People are scared, indecisive, delayed. Action is needed with this vaccine. We try to explain to residents that the AstraZeneca vaccine is no worse, but it is not easy. do it, ”explained the mayor of the Šalčininkai district.
However, when asked which of the priority groups he belongs to, Z. Palevič himself was not so specific. “I am 60 years old and again, due to my illness, I can use this vaccine,” he said.
True, according to the statement of the Central Election Commission, the mayor of the Šalčininkai district will celebrate his anniversary only in September, today he is 59 years old. And the Ministry of Health has included people over 65 in the priority group, so the mayor does not have the vaccine by age.
However, Grzegorz Jurgo, deputy director of the Šalčininkai district municipality administration, also received the vaccine yesterday. Palevich, his 35-year-old colleague, could not say which priority group he belonged to, but claimed that he took responsibility for the much-needed vaccination campaign.
“It just came to our attention then. I wanted to set an example, urge residents to get vaccinated because the rate is not satisfactory and I think it is not a crime here.
We all have to answer the question of what we want to achieve. If we want general immunity, we have to work, not argue. Our vaccination rates are not satisfactory. I, as a district manager, made that decision. If there are any complaints about it, I am ready to respond, “said the Šalčininkai district mayor.
You can see the video of the Šalčininkai district municipality, where Z. Palevič is vaccinated, here.
Could not tell which priority group it belongs to
The vaccination coordinators in each municipality compile lists of those vaccinated. In the Šalčininkai district, Jolanta Černiavskienė, a municipal employee, is responsible for this. When asked how high-ranking municipal employees were included in the vaccinated list, he first emphasized not his affiliation with the priority group, but the chosen vaccine and the purpose of the campaign.
“The vaccination was mainly with the AstraZeneca vaccine. Vaccinated simply to give people confidence in the vaccine, its reliability. Second, our mayor performs important functions for society that cannot always be performed remotely. Of course, a person also has comorbidities, ”said J. Černiavskienė.
After insisting that the vaccine belongs to people under 65 only with very serious and clearly defined diseases, and asked to specify whether the mayor actually meets these conditions, J. Černiavskienė repeated another argument instead of responding.
“We have a priority, for example, there is a point that allows vaccination if a person performs very important functions,” he said.
Portal lrytas.lt In this regard, he requested clarification from the Ministry of Health (SAM) “Municipal mayors and heads of administration do not belong to the group of employees who perform important functions for society,” says the response.
Finally, when asked if the mayor fully meets the requirements set for any of the priority groups, J. Černiavskienė clarified that the procedural requirements were not strictly observed. “If it were, for example, another vaccine, it would be clear that we would think, but regarding our district, I do not think we have committed a very serious fault here. Because there was no progress in vaccination against AstraZeneca.
We had 20 balances at one institution, 700 units at another institution, and yesterday we vaccinated AstraZeneca. And today. We already have people signed up for tomorrow. I think that because of this, so to speak, campaign, the matter will advance precisely thanks to the AstraZeneca vaccine ”, hoped J. Černiavskienė.
He admitted that the so-called campaign was not coordinated with SAM and no attempt was made to request an exemption for municipal leaders. “It may have been necessary to do that, but people have already been vaccinated,” said J. Černiavskienė.
The municipality itself announced that Andžej Grudinskij, head of the Šalčininkai police station, and Virgilijus Raugalė, head of the Varėna border team of the State Border Guard Service, had been vaccinated on Monday along with district leaders.
Lrytas.lt Remember that on Monday President Gitanas Nausėda, Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė, President of Seimas Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen and Minister of Health Arūnas Dulkys were vaccinated to clear up doubts about the AstraZeneca vaccine. The top heads of state, members of the Seimas and the Government were included in 2006. The mayors of the districts were not included in this list.
