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It has been 6 weeks since the country’s leaders were vaccinated with AstraZeneca. The first people in the country chose this manufacturer’s vaccine to increase public confidence in it. Today, however, its appeal is further diminished by the particularly long wait for a second shot and a full immunization. It will soon be 4 weeks since the mayor of Vilnius, Remigijus Šimašius, received the first dose of this vaccine.
“Since I received the first dose on April 1, I don’t know if it is a joke or a reality, but they gave me a second dose through Jonines. Of course, the time is quite long, “said the mayor of Vilnius.
The AstraZeneca Summary of Product Characteristics states that the course of these vaccines consists of 2 doses. And the second should be given 4 to 12 weeks after the first.
“At the request of the Ministry of Health, the Service has also provided an evaluation indicating that the maximum efficacy of the vaccine is recorded when the booster dose is administered between 9 and 12 weeks after the first dose,” said Aistė Tautvydienė, specialist in the Drug Control Service.
However, the SAM is of the opinion that the second vaccine should be administered after a maximum period of 12 weeks. Experts reiterate that this gap is too long.
“That is, we have a possible officially recorded interval of 4 to 12 weeks. And optimal, better between 6 and 8 weeks. This is written in the description of the drugs, ”said VU professor Vytautas Usonis.
According to the manufacturer’s instructions, it is best if the interval between vaccinations is more than 4 weeks. But it doesn’t have to be the longest.
“The effectiveness of a vaccine is greater if that range is greater. If the interval between doses is 9 to 12 weeks, the efficacy of the vaccine is higher, ”explained VU professor Aurelija Žvirblienė.
Exceptions to the second dose of SAMe are provided for teachers and graduates only.
“As far as teachers are concerned, it is about freeing the work of mobile points. Because teachers are now very actively testing and taking places at moving points, others cannot take the test. After vaccinating them with the second dose, they will no longer need to be tested and we will release this aspect. And for everyone else, the same recommendation remains: the second dose of the vaccine after 12 weeks, ”said SAM specialist Lukas Galkus.
© DELFI / Josvydas Elinskas
Experts say such regulation is redundant.
“We have been talking many times that the strategy of the priority groups is exhausted, it must be changed”, assured V. Usonis.
According to him, vaccination centers should already decide what and when to vaccinate.
“There are officially approved drug descriptions. I don’t think the administration should manage those things one way or another. By analogy with all other drugs, the ministry certainly does not set the dosages or the frequency of prescribing for doctors, ”said the professor.
With the exception of those who can choose the time of the second vaccination, the ministry is accused of discrimination.
“It seems to me that it is not worth regulating those population groups so that everyone has a choice,” said A. Žvirblienė.
The Vilnius city municipality says that from May it will be possible to choose the time of the second vaccination for themselves. However, how it is implemented will depend on the number of vaccines received.
“The fields will still be open for a certain amount of increases for that day. If we receive the vaccine on a Wednesday or Thursday, we may not have it on Monday. On Monday, a person will have no other choice,” said Viktorija Turauskytė, chief of the Vilnius City Municipality Health Department.
Next week will be 3 months after the first vaccination of those who received the AstraZeneca vaccine after receiving their first batch in early February.
In total, the first dose of AstraZeneca in Lithuania was vaccinated with about 200 thousand. people. There is no response from Denmark, which has been asked to provide vaccines from this manufacturer, which no longer vaccinates itself.
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