On the 5th of November, the Latvian government approved the allocation of EUR 2.9 million from the budget of the Ministry of Health towards Covid-19 vaccine-related costs.
The ministry notes that this money will be used to finance vaccine procurement, storage, logistics and disposal.
Vaccination for Covid-19 has all but ceased in Latvia.
For example, data from the Disease Control and Prevention Centre indicates that this autumn (by mid-October) only close to 4 000 Latvian residents received Covid-19 vaccine jabs. Due to decisions made during the pandemic and existing contracts, Covid-19 vaccines are still procured. However, they remain largely unused.
EUR 2 880 227 are being diverted by a government decision for the purchase, storage, logistics of Covid-19 vaccines, the purchase of syringes and solutions for injection, while EUR 13 329 will be paid for the administration of Covid-19 vaccines from January to June this year.
During the relevant half-year period, the country had to destroy 606 594 doses of vaccines, including 487 234 doses of Pfizer and 119 360 doses of Novavax vaccines.