RIGA, Jan 12 (LETA) - For family physicians to be able to ensure more active vaccination against Covid-19, additional human resources and municipal support are needed, said family physician Ainis Dzalbs from Jelgava county at the Saeima social and labor affairs committee meeting today.

He said that family physicians are on the verge of burnout, working overtime, and the Health Ministry's plans in relation to vaccination in practices of family physicians are "practically unrealistic challenge".

Dzalbs said that practices of family physicians are not vaccination rooms, they need additional human resources for doing that because the existing staff already is overloaded with the everyday tasks.

Also, considering that family physicians would have to work also on Saturdays, additional financing for wages is needed. The Health Ministry also should invest in technologies, additional work places, fridges for performing vaccination.

Engagement of the local governments will also be important with transportation of residents, information campaign. "So far cooperation has been weak, every municipality has interpreted it in its own way," said Dzalbs.

As reported, Latvia has received 30,255 Comirnaty vaccines from Pfizer and BioNTech, meant for a total of 15,127 people as the vaccination requires two doses.

LETA also reported, Minister of Health Daniels Pavluts (For Development) has issued a decree stipulating that all medics are to be vaccinated from January 11.

Last Friday, the government decided that Latvia would buy additional 1.4 million Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines against Covid-19.