RIGA, Jan 26 (LETA) - To ensure as fast immunization of Latvia's population against Covid-19 as possible, Latvia's largest cities are offering to transform gyms into mass vaccination sites, but they also expect the central government to help them finance various vaccination-related expenses, Kaspars Licitis, a spokesman for the Association of Latvia's Large Cities, told LETA.

The association notes a number of outstanding problems that have to be resolved to ensure an effective immunization process. 

"Vaccination against Covid-19 is a matter that has to be tackled by the whole society together, by cooperating and supporting each other. Local governments are already prepared to participate in enabling the process, providing all the necessary practical and technical support. For instance, several local governments have expressed readiness to set up mass vaccination sites at gyms," says the association's CEO Viktors Valainis. 

The Association of Latvia's Large Cities also believes that staff shortages in family physicians' practices and emergency rooms is the most pressing problem and that to ensure a smooth vaccination process it will be necessary to attract reserve medical staff. 

Dealing with the shortages of medical staff and providing the necessary premises and equipment will entail additional costs, which is why the local governments will need state support.

The association also sees the lack of precise, detailed and well-targeted information about the vaccination plan as another problem. 

"The spread of disinformation about vaccination is extensive, so supervisory authorities should increase control of disinformation spread by publicly available information sources," Valainis said.

In his opinion, a large part of society, particularly elderly people, should be provided information about the importance of vaccination in printed formats like brochures, booklets, etc., which would be freely available in pharmacies, family physicians' practices and other medical institutions.