Over 700 people had registered for vaccination at the Medicum clinic in Lasnamäe on Saturday. Half of them had already received their first dose of vaccine by noon.

Sergei (74) praised the way immunization was organized on Saturday, adding that he had previously turned down an offer to be vaccinated using the AstraZeneca vaccine.

"I have worked as a doctor myself. I kept my eye on coronavirus news and information and decided against it. When I heard from the media and my doctor that Pfizer was going to be administered in Lasnamäe, I got behind the computer and signed up," Sergei said.

Doctors are reluctant to say how often people have turned down vaccination since January. One patient told the "Aktuaalne kaamera" news program that attitudes toward vaccination have improved among their acquaintances.

"Many were against it a year ago. But now – my neighbor called me and said that she and her children definitely want to get vaccinated," Valentina said.

Organizing the immunization drive was not easy. The target group includes people who are not used to doing things online. Vaccinating people in Lasnamäe, Maardu and Loksa also requires medics to speak both Estonian and Russian.

Andra Õismaa, head of nursing at Medicum, said that in addition to online registration, people could also sign up over the phone. "We had time to prepare five nurses and to have two doctors supervise the vaccination process and interview people. As well as to administer first aid if necessary," Õismaa explained.

The Saturday drive was finished by 2 p.m. in Maardu, with 84 patients expected on Sunday.

A few people who had registered failed to show up in Lasnamäe and Maardu. All will be contacted. Around 2,000 doses of vaccine were reserved on Saturday alone in Lasnamäe.

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