On Tuesday, Lithuania has begun vaccinating residents and staff at the country’s care homes.
"Today is a happy day when we are starting to vaccinate residents and staff at care institutions," Social Security and Labour Minister Monika Navickienė told reporters on Tuesday. "We are planning to vaccinate around 6 percent of residents and around 9 percent of staff today."
Wednesday and Thursday will be the most intensive days of the vaccination programme in nursing and care homes, she said, adding that all eligible residents and staff are expected to be given the first of the two vaccine shots within five days.
“We will need up to 20,000 shots for care institutions for both doses,” Security and Labor Deputy Minister Vilma Augiene told reporters earlier on the day.
There are some 13,000 people residing in Lithuania’s care facilities, which have a staff of more than 8,000, according to the data from the ministry. Around 40 percent of them have already had Covid-19 and will not be vaccinated.
Read more: Who will get vaccinated in Lithuania and when
Rapid antibody tests will be carried out before vaccination to determine if the person had an asymptomatic case of Covid-19. Those who did will not receive the jab.
The first dose of the vaccine should be administered over five days. Vaccination is being organised by municipal primary healthcare centres.
As of Tuesday morning, more than 22,500 people have already received Covid-19 vaccine shots in Lithuania.
Lithuania uses the BioNTech/Pfizer coronavirus vaccine – the first vaccine authorised for use in the European Union.
Read more: Lithuania receives first batch of Moderna Covid-19 vaccine
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