Demand overwhelms supply in Latvia as public told not to line up for vaccination any more

Take note – story published 2 years ago

After busy early-morning activity that saw lines form at all the mass vaccination centers opened for the day, the public were told within an hour that they should no longer form lines as all the available vaccines were already accounted for at several locations.  

The volume of vaccines for free-line vaccination is limited this weekend with about 5,370 AstraZeneca vaccines planned to be used on Saturday and Sunday in total, but public interest in receiving the vaccines is so great that on Saturday just half an hour after the official opening hour at 09:00, by around 09:30 Cēsis, Jelgava and Rīga Ķīpsala already saw officials saying there was no longer any point in lining up.

"Due to the high demand, the maximum number of people to be vaccinated today has already been reached in Ķīpsala Hall - queuing is not continued. Taking into account the planned number of 1,000 vaccines in Ķīpsala Hall, at 9.30 a decision was made to vaccinate all those who are waiting in the queue until then, but not to continue with queueing ater that," said a Health Ministry statement.

At the ATTA vaccination center in Rīga, a total of 1,250 doses of AstraZeneca were available for use Saturday, but more than 700 people were already waiting in line when the doors opened.

According to the Health Ministry, 460 vaccinations were planned to take place in Jelgava Saturday, where a halt was called to the line at 10:00.

Cēsīs has just 500 vaccine shots available over the whole weekend and Daugavpils has 670 over the weekend.

Many waiting in line - and many more still making their ways to join the lines from remote rural districts - will be disappointed, but it is at least now crystal-clear that demand to be vaccinated greatly exceeds the supply of available vaccines.

The Health Ministry says it will provide further situation updates on this webpage (Latvian language): https://www.vm.gov.lv/lv/jaunums/aktuala-informacija-sodien-vakcinacija-lielajos-centros-notiks-septinas-latvijas-pilsetas

Saturday April 17 vaccination centers
Riga
 (ATTA center - Krasta Street 60 and Ķīpsalas Hall - Ķīpsalas Street 8);
Jelgava (Zemgale Olympic Center - Kronvalda 24),
Jurmala (Jurmala Sports School - Nometnu Street 2b),
Cesis (former Super Netto store - Bērzaines Street 2a),
Liepaja (Liepaja Olympic Center, Brivibas Street 39),
Daugavpils (former Daugavpils 5. secondary school sports complex - Parādes 7),
Rēzekne (GORS - Pils iela 4).

Sunday April 18 vaccination centers  
Cesis (former Super Netto store - Bērzaines street 2a),
Daugavpils (Daugavpils former 5th secondary school sports complex - Parades 7)

 

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