"The moment when anyone who wishes to get vaccinated can book a time will arrive in May. Everyone cannot book a time on the same week, but as of current knowledge of incoming vaccine shipments, all applicants should receive their first vaccine injection during May and June," Jesse said.

Jesse emphasized that she can only speak based on the current knowledge as there is no final confirmation from manufacturers of what shipment capacities will be in May and June. "If we did have confirmation, we could open registration in the digital registry already," the social affairs ministry official said.

While a record number of 64,130 coronavirus vaccine doses is set to arrive this week, there is no final confirmation about shipments in the final three weeks in April, Jesse noted.

Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine shipments are scheduled to increase each coming week in the near future, but as AstraZeneca is still having difficulties with shipping vaccines out, they will announce the outgoing shipments a few days in advance. "There is still no confirmation on how much of the AstraZeneca will arrive next week," Jesse said.

The Moderna vaccine, set to arrive in the smallest capacities of all ordered vaccines, have been set aside for vaccinations in Hiiu, Saare and Lääne counties, the ministry official added.

The first shipment of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is scheduled to arrive in Estonia in mid-April, but initial shipments will be quite small in capacity, Jesse noted.

She said manufacturers' promises about capacities increasing in the second quarter mean there should be a situation in June where everyone who wishes can get vaccinated. "Vaccine shipments will increase significantly in the second quarter and we have no reason not to believe the manufacturers," Jesse added.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!