As of Monday, 12 September, adapted Covid-19 vaccines are available at general practitioners and vaccination rooms in Latvia, as reported by the Disease Prevention and Monitoring Centre (SPKC).
According to SPKC, these vaccines are approved for use across the European Union. It is also planned the next shipment of adapted vaccines will arrive in Latvia next week. To sign up for a jab with an adapted vaccine, residents should contact their general practitioner or vaccination room. It is also possible to sign up at Manavakcina.lv.
Covid-19 vaccination is recommended for all residents.
According to SPKC, vaccination is especially recommended for:
healthcare workers;
seniors aged 65 or older;
people suffering from chronic diseases;
immune suppressed residents and their contacts;
tenants of social care centres and staff;
pregnant women.
According to information from SPKC, residents aged 65 years or older and immune suppressed residents should re-vaccinate three months after receiving the last jab. Other members of society should consider re-vaccinating six months after receiving the last jab.
If a residents had Covid-19 vaccination and has recovered, re-vaccination is recommended four months after recovery, but no sooner than after three months.
As previously reported, on 6 September Latvia received 230 400 adapted Covid-19 vaccines manufactured by Pfizer/BioNTech, as well as 43 200 adapted Moderna vaccines.
According to the National Health Service (NVD), vaccines were adapted in order to better respond to circulating Covid-19 variants. New vaccines are expected to provide optimal protection against Covid-19 in a time when the virus actively develops and changes.
SPKC also reports that last week, the number of newly uncovered Covid-19 infection cases in Latvia increased by 14.5%. The biggest increase with new infection cases is observed in the age 0 – 19 years age group.
The infection’s reproduction number – 1.04 – indicates infection continues spreading in society. The number of hospitalised patients has increased by 6% lately, as noted by SPKC.
Between June and August the frequency of fatalities (per 100 000 residents) indicated that for people with primary and booster vaccination the risk of death in the event of Covid-19 infection was 4.7 times lower when compared to non-vaccinated and partially vaccinated people, SPKC reports.
Data for the past three months indicates that the number of re-infection cases has been on a rise since July (17.8% in June, 26.6% in July and 31.3% in August).
SPKC also reminds that epidemiological safety measures remain highly recommended. These include maintaining 2 m safe distance from other people, avoiding overcrowded places, hand hygiene and frequent airing of rooms.
Wearing protective masks remains mandatory at medical institutions and social care centres, SPKC reminds.