The Minister has revised the procedure for vaccination against COVID-19: a reserve list will appear

Treatment facilities providing COVID-19 vaccinations will be required to establish lists of individuals to be vaccinated with COVID-19, in order of priority.

In addition – and reserve lists. They will be approved by the head of the medical institution, who will be responsible for ensuring that the lists meet the requirements.

In order to protect the interests of employees, the trade unions, the works council or the employees’ trustee will have the right to contact the head of the institution and receive the said lists.

Reserve list – a document compiled in accordance with the order of priority groups.

Persons in it shall be vaccinated when, for objective reasons, it is not possible to vaccinate persons in the above priority group who have already been scheduled to be vaccinated.

Photo by Saulius Žiūra / Vaccination of doctors from Vilnius City Clinical Hospital against COVID-19

According to an order approved by the Minister, medical institutions will have to vaccinate priority groups in turn, starting with the one above.

And the next priority group will only be able to start vaccination if they have all the people in the current priority group vaccinated with the available COVID-19 vaccine stock, or if, for objective reasons, it is not possible to vaccinate all people in the above priority group in time and there is an irrational delay. and unjustified.

If it is not possible to vaccinate people on the reserve list within the timeframe, institutions will need to follow the “rationality criterion”, consume all diluted doses no later than the timeframe specified in the SPC and vaccinate the priority group below at the vaccination site or in urgent need. to come to it.

In the order, the Minister also established a provision on liability: in case of violation of the established procedure for vaccination with COVID-19 vaccine, the liability established by legal acts for violations of legal acts regulating the prevention of communicable diseases will apply.

President Gitanas Nausėda called on the Minister of Health to review the vaccination schedule on Monday.

“The order of vaccination planned by the Minister of Health needs to be reviewed, the principle of moving between one priority line and down needs to be clarified, so that the principles of when to move and when not – are clear,” said his chief adviser Simonas Krėpšta.

Who should get the vaccine first?

According to the previously approved procedure, COVID-19 is administered primarily to staff providing inpatient personal health care to patients with COVID-19 and to students participating in the provision of services and in contact with patients with COVID-19.

Subsequent vaccinations are given to resuscitation and intensive care, emergency department staff, as well as emergency inpatient staff, ambulance brigade staff and students.

Vaccination staff should then be vaccinated to provide services to patients most at risk for COVID-19 infection, such as those receiving immunosuppressive or chemotherapy.

Vaccination is then planned for the highest risk patients. Priority is given to patients with end-stage chronic kidney disease receiving continuous renal replacement therapy.

The following are patients who have had organ or haematopoietic stem cell transplants.

Patients with oncohematological disease are then vaccinated when chemotherapy, immunotherapy or target oncohematological treatment is continued or completed, up to 24 months after completion.

They are followed by individuals with immunodeficiency diseases with an antibody production defect who are receiving immunoglobulin replacement therapy.

These will be followed by vaccinations of other personal health care workers who contribute to COVID-19 treatment, as well as people who volunteer in medical facilities for at least 4 hours. for no more than 14 consecutive days.

It is planned to vaccinate employees of medical institutions under the Ministries of National Defense and Justice, as well as employees who come into contact with patients.

After them are the employees of mobile points and fever clinics.

It is then planned to vaccinate patients who receive supportive treatment and nursing services and employees who provide these services, followed by residents of social care institutions and employees and persons who provide these services at home.

Following vaccination of these groups, laboratory staff performing COVID-19 testing, including sampling, followed by vaccination of COVID-19 epidemiologists, who need to go to the outbreaks, will continue to be vaccinated.

Vaccination of all these groups is expected to include vaccination of the remaining health care workers who do not fall into other categories. Post – pharmacy staff.