After medical workers will come customers and employees of social care centers, then people in risk groups.
It is currently planned that a total of more than 800 000 people could be provided with a state-paid vaccine. This number could be higher if the vaccine manufacturers approve Latvia's order.
So far, the National Health Service has entered into an agreement on the supply of vaccines with two vaccine manufacturers — AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson (Janssen). The Minister for Health Ilze Viņķele said that €1.6 million has been paid upfront s so that Latvia can receive these vaccines.
It is likely that there will also be an agreement with another potential manufacturer, Pfizer, and altogether there are 7-8 producers in the ministry's lists.
“Latvia will do everything to make vaccines available,” the minister said.
The Ministry currently forecasts that, following a positive development scenario, the first delivery (according to the schedule for deliveries of “AstraZeneca”) is to take place in the first quarter of next year. The entire volume ordered will not be delivered immediately, but in parts every month.
Accordingly, the Ministry of Health has determined that health care workers would receive the vaccines first, then customers and employees of social care centers and then successively persons aged over 65, people with chronic diseases, employees of operational services and employees of educational establishments.
These groups have been identified in the light of the European Commission's recommendations and other national practices.
Currently, the Ministry of Health, together with the other authorities involved, is working on issues related to the COVID-19 vaccine logistics chain, so that it is possible to supply vaccines to Latvia, keep them in accordance with the requirements, as well as to organize the vaccination process itself.
