The use of the “Modern” vaccine has increased significantly in Latvia

The use of the “Modern” vaccine against Covid-19 for the first vaccines has increased significantly in Latvia this week, according to data from the National Health Service (NSS).

Currently, four Covid-19 vaccines are approved for use in the European Union: Pfizer https://news.google.com/ BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson or Janssen. Of the two-dose vaccines in Latvia, the Pfizer vaccine was by far the most popular, Moderna was used much less frequently, while the AstraZeneca vaccine is practically no longer used in Latvia due to low demand.

The “Johnson & Johnson” vaccine, which requires only one dose according to the user’s instructions, is relatively very popular in Latvia; however, the State Immunization Board also recommends receiving a second “Pfizer” or “Moderna” vaccine after vaccination with this vaccine.

A week ago, the Public Vaccination Working Group of the Ministry of Health issued a statement recommending “Moderna” as a priority for the first vaccine for residents aged 25 and over, showing the most durable protection against Covid-19 . Data from the NSA shows a significant increase in the use of modern vaccines since the announcement.

This week, around 30,000 people received the first weekday Covid-19 vaccine, of which around 15,500 or 52% were vaccinated with the Moderna vaccine and around 14,500 or 48% with the Pfizer vaccine. For example, some 5,000 people received the first vaccine yesterday, of which about 60% were vaccinated with “Moderna” and about 40% with the “Pfizer” vaccine.

Relatively a week ago, the situation was significantly different: then, of approximately 47,000 first-time venom recipients, approximately 85% were vaccinated with Pfizer and only 15% with the Moderna vaccine.

It has already been reported that the Public Vaccination Working Group of the Ministry of Health gives priority to “Moderna” as the first pot for residents from the age of 25.

In accordance with the decision of the Public Vaccination Working Group, all vaccination providers are recommended to use Moderna and Johnson & Johnson as the first dose for vaccination starting on Friday (with the recommendation to carry out primary vaccination mainly with vaccines of mRNA eight weeks after receiving the vaccine). first dose) The vaccine manufactured by Pfizer https://news.google.com/ BioNTech should be used to vaccinate young people between the ages of 12 and 25, as recommended in the IVP.

Also for people over 65, health workers, six months after receiving the second dose of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines https://news.google.com/ BioNTech (and who have not contracted Covid-19), as well Like all residents who have received at least eight weeks after receiving the first dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine, in the near future, primary vaccination is primarily called for the use of the “Modern” vaccine.

As explained by the infectologist at the Clinical University Hospital Pauls Stradiņš, professor at the University of Latvia Uga Dumpis, the “Spikevax” vaccine produced by “Moderna” shows the most durable protection in terms of research and real data from various countries. In Latvia, it is available in large quantities, but people do not choose it without objective justification. The only concern in this case, according to the expert, could be young people who may have a higher risk of myocarditis, for which the corresponding age limit has been set.

Dace Zavadska, president of the National Immunization Council, also said that in late summer and early September, global data on vaccine effectiveness convincingly showed that the “Modern” vaccine “Spikevax” has the highest protective effectiveness. .

“This vaccine contains a higher dose of antigen than, for example, Pfizer’s https://news.google.com/ BioNTech vaccine of the same technology, Comirnaty, which works on the same principle,” explained the expert.

On the other hand, in relation to primary vaccination, or the so-called third dose, for the population for which it has already been or will be recommended, another proof of the high protection that Moderna provides, according to the professor, is the fact that the efficacy of two doses remains stable and a booster dose is not yet recommended.