Lithuania has received the first batch of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine containing 2,400 doses, the Health Ministry reported on Tuesday.
“From now on, new batches of Moderna’s vaccine will be delivered each week in January and February,” the ministry said in a press release.
The batch was delivered from Belgium by van, which arrived in Lithuania at 8:00 on Monday and was then transported to the warehouses of the Health Emergency Situations Center for storage at a temperature of −20C.
“The vaccine will be transported from the warehouses [...] to Kaunas City Polyclinic. The doses will be transported at the temperature of 2–8C using special equipment,” the ministry said.
Moderna’s vaccine doses will have to be used up within a period of 28 days.
The US pharmaceutical company Moderna is the second manufacturer to deliver a coronavirus vaccine to Lithuania.
The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine – the first to be authorised for use in the European Union – has been delivered to Lithuania in batches since late December. The vaccine is administered to medical workers, other hospital staff, volunteers, and patients at high risk.
On Tuesday, Lithuania began vaccinating residents and staff in care homes.
Read more: Who will get vaccinated in Lithuania and when
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