Frontline employees will be vaccinated in coming weeks
Teachers, rescuers and policemen have now received their first vaccine dose and on Thursday (February 18), the vaccination of Defense Forces employees will start. The Ministry of Social Affairs hopes that all frontline employees who want to be vaccinated will be in the coming weeks.
Of the 2,100 employees of the Rescue Board, 69 percent have said they wish to be vaccinated and Deputy Director of the Rescue Board, Andreas Anvelt, said on Wednesday that the number will likely increase. In two days, 360 Rescue Board members will have received the first vaccine dose and private company Qvalitas has been administering the vaccinations to rescuers and policemen.
"Qvalitas has started with the vaccinations in Tallinn and Tartu so the region's rescuers can be vaccinated first. We hope that in the coming days, rescuers and policemen in Hiiu County, Võru, Viru and Ida-Viru County will be vaccinated as well," Anvelt said.
Vaccination of rescuers started faster than teachers because Qvalitas already has their data. The Rescue Board has a contract with the medical center and employees regularly see an occupational health doctor there.
Broader vaccination of the Police and Border Guard Board's (PPA) employees starts on February 19. PPA's deputy director of assets Janne Pikma said a wider vaccination programme will start on Friday in Tartu, Kärdla and Võru.
In other cities, the possibility to get vaccinated will open up gradually but the opportunity has been extended to all PPA employees.
"All PPA employees have been submitted to Qvalitas. The individual will actually make the decision if he or she wants the vaccine or not when they have been offered the chance. Who is offered the possibility and who accepts or doesn't, it can be seen when vaccines are done," Pikma said.
The Defense Forces received 1,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses on Wednesday, (February 17). The doses will be used immediately and in eight weeks, second doses are planned for the same group. On Wednesday, the employees on who the Defense Forces' work depends will be vaccinated.
"These are housekeeping services, catering and foreign missions because medical help is limited in the mission area. We know that there is COVID-19 in the mission bases," chief-physician of the Defense Forces, Targo Lusti, said.
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Editor: Roberta Vaino
