Vaccines are transported to nursing homes; some people reject them

Residents of Exile Social Care Home, who are pro-coronavirus, wait their turn to get vaccinated against Covid-19. A total of 78 neighborhoods live in them, about 90 percent of which plan to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. Only some sick and comorbid residents have refused to be vaccinated.

Home-based workers vaccinated against coronavirus and those who work for the first time who interact and care for the elderly on a daily basis provide medical care. According to social workers, vaccines are the only hope so that they do not become infected and do not transmit the virus to the sick elderly.

“In fact, I was very happy that there was such an opportunity to get vaccinated and I really wanted to do it, because we are working in a very responsible job,” says Jurgita Domarkaitė, an assistant to a social worker.

“It’s a lot of fun, we will live freely now, we are waiting, we will see what happens next,” says social worker Violeta Čeplinskienė.

It is true that the head of the Deported Care Home assures that not all those who have been diagnosed with a coronavirus have developed immunity, so they will also be vaccinated. A total of 8 residents and 12 employees have already been infected with coronavirus in residences.

“In fact, the stress is enormous, because it is associated with the disease itself, which is very difficult for the elderly, but it also affects employees psychologically and emotionally,” says director Artūras Melianas.

Nursing and care facility coronavirus vaccines have reached five major centers and are being distributed to nursing and care facilities. According to the Minister of Social Security and Labor, Monika Navickienė, around a fifth of the population of care institutions subordinate to the Ministry and a tenth of employees do not plan to be vaccinated.

According to data from the Ministry of Social Security and Labor, a total of around 13 thousand districts and more than 8 thousand people work in nursing homes in Lithuania. Up to 40 percent of them are already infected with coronavirus. True, according to the minister, not a single case of abuse of the vaccine will be tolerated, nursing homes have already been warned.

“We ask all subordinate care institutions to follow only the planned vaccination schedules, not to involve any other additional person, to discuss the situation with the Ministry of Health,” said the Minister of Social Security and Labor, Monika Navickienė.

The National Center for Public Health reports that coronavirus outbreaks continue to break out in nursing homes and nursing homes, and most of the time the coronavirus reaches them from abroad, brought in by staff. And vaccinations are vital for residents of healthcare facilities.

“Right now, there are no nursing homes or nursing homes where cases of both illness and death have not been recorded. The risk to the people who lie there is enormous,” says epidemiologist Daiva Razmuvienė.

The first dose is scheduled to be administered to residents and facility staff within five days. And while the population most at risk is being vaccinated, the first shipment from the “Moderna” company has already arrived in Lithuania. It is true that so far it is only symbolic: 2400 doses.

“We start the vaccination on Wednesday, we will vaccinate according to the order of the Minister – employees of the mobile point, employees of the fever clinic. We will also vaccinate employees and residents of social and care institutions, ”says Živilė Jacikė, director of the Kaunas city polyclinic laboratory.

The Ultra vaccine does not require ultra low temperature freezers. It is stored in normal refrigerators. The Ministry of Health announces that the vaccine from the Moderna company will arrive in Lithuania regularly every month.

“In the first quarter, we will receive certain quantities of Moderns every two weeks, I cannot reveal specific quantities like Pfizer, but we will receive more and more doses,” says Chancellor Jurgita Grebenkovienė.

On Monday, the fourth shipment of BioNTech and Pfizer vaccines arrived in Lithuania: 25,740 doses of vaccine. According to the Department of Statistics, a total of 24,995 people have already been vaccinated in Lithuania. It is true that there are rumors that Lithuania should unilaterally initiate negotiations on vaccines with manufacturers, and not through a joint procurement organized by the European Commission.

Chancellor Gabriel Landsberg stated that in this case there is a high risk of being at the end of the queue and not receiving the vaccine.

“Currently, Lithuania has booked more than 8 million vaccines. Through several different providers, they are booked through the European Vaccine Mechanism,” said Chancellor Gabrielius Landsbergis.

Although the vaccination rate in Lithuania is accelerating, the coronavirus continues to take human lives. The famous doctor and urologist Narimantas Balčiūnas died of Covid-19 in Lithuania. The doctor was one of the pioneers of ultrasound diagnosis in Lithuania. He is also the Chief Ultrasound Diagnostic Specialist for the Ministry of Health.