Estonia plans to 'borrow' Janssen vaccines from EU countries

Estonia is planning to "borrow" one-shot Janssen vaccines from other countries and it is thought the plans will be announced on Thursday, Minister of Health and Labor Tanel Kiik (Center) said on Tuesday.
Kiik told ERR there will be no Janssen doses delivered to Estonia during September and none arrived in August either. Plans are now being drawn up to obtain vaccines from other member states.
The minister said Estonia wants to borrow the vaccines temporarily and return them from future deliveries.
"It does depend on the countries' ability and willingness to provide it, but we are talking about several tens of thousands of vaccine doses," Kiik said when asked how many doses Estonia hopes to receive.
While Estonia has ordered 300,000 doses of Janssen only 46,000 have reached Estonia so far, he said.
Kiik also said restrictions will be discussed at Thursday's cabinet meeting. He said the government does not yet know when they will be lifted completely but it will be likely be linked to the vaccination rate.
"We will review the different levels of risk in the traffic light, so to speak, and listen to the scientific council's discussions on how and when we can reach a society without restrictions," he said.
The minister said the council will submit a proposal on Thursday which will lay out how many people should be vaccinated before restrictions can be lifted. Kiik also considered ministers' proposals important.
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Editor: Helen Wright