ZAGREB, 6 Feb 2022 - With 73 deaths per million people, Croatia topped the EU list of COVID deaths in the past week, Jutarnji List newspaper wrote on Sunday.

It noted that the figure confirms misconceptions about a lower risk of the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

"Omicron is a milder variant of the coronavirus and its consequences will not be as disastrous as those of Delta. We could ease the restrictions because hospitals are not being filled with too many patients, there is a mild decrease in infections or their number is stagnating. All these are self-delusions and attempts at downplaying the danger of the coronavirus pandemic which, unfortunately, continues to claim a lot of lives, namely more than 50 daily", the newspaper said. 

Last week, the National Bureau of Statistics provided a realistic picture of what the novel coronavirus has done to Croatia in the last two years. 63,611 people died in 2021 alone, 12,000 more than in the pre-pandemic year.

From March 2020, when the pandemic began in Croatia, until December 2021, there was a 16.9% increase in the number of deaths compared with the five-year average for the period preceding the pandemic. This translates to the deaths of 16,146 more Croatian citizens.

"These grim figures could have been much less frustrating had Croatian citizens gotten vaccinated like people in the majority of EU countries, as shown by the number of deaths in the last week", Jutarnji List said.

Despite a large number of infections, the Netherlands did not record a single COVID-19 death in the past week. Germany reported 10 deaths, Austria, which has made vaccination mandatory, registered 11 deaths, while Sweden, Spain, Portugal and Denmark had about 20 deaths per million people. All these countries have high vaccination rates, which produces obvious results. On the other hand, Croatia had 73 deaths and Bulgaria 68 deaths per million people, the newspaper said.

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ZAGREB, 19 Dec, 2021 - Croatia has registered 1,936 new coronavirus cases and 51 COVID-related deaths in the last 24 hours, the national coronavirus response team reported on Sunday.

Currently, there are 22,606 active cases in the country. Among them are 2,167 infected persons receiving hospital treatment and 269 of them are on ventilators.

A total of 22,622 people are self-isolating.

A total of 3,645,554 persons have been tested to date, including 6,973 in the last 24 hours.

Since 25 February 2020, when the first infection with the SARS CoV-2 virus was confirmed in the country, 675,363 people have been registered as having contracted the new virus, of whom 11,981 have died.

A total of 640,776 people have recovered, including 3,214 in the last 24 hours.

65.86% of adult population vaccinated

As of Saturday, 4,542,083 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered, with 55.25 per cent of the total population, or 65.86 per cent of the adult population, having been vaccinated.

A total of 2,242,262 people have received at least one dose and 2,088,816 of them have been fully vaccinated, which is 61.53 per cent of the adult population.

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ZAGREB, 7 Dec, 2021 - After more than 2.2 million Croatians were vaccinated against COVID-19, the Croatian Agency for Medicinal Products and Medical Devices (HALMED) on Tuesday confirmed the first vaccination-related fatality, a 33-year-old man who died after vaccination with the AstraZeneca vaccine.

The causal relationship between vaccination and the side effects and fatal outcome was assessed as probable, and the man died of the thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome, HALMED said.

So far no other cases of this side effect have been reported nor has any other reported fatal outcome been found to be related to vaccination.

The man in question died 12 days after vaccination with the AstraZeneca vaccine (Vaxzevria) and the report on the case was received in March 2021, after which extensive medical checks and analyses were conducted.

Based on reports filed with the European database of suspected adverse drug reactions, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) identified the said syndrome and established that it can occur very rarely if viral vector vaccines are applied.

EMA also determined that even though this very rare syndrome can occur, as can related risks from hospitalisation and fatal outcome, the overall benefit of the said vaccine in preventing COVID-19 by far outweighs the potential risks.

According to the latest information by EMA, by 14 October 2021, 624 reports of suspected thrombosis with thrombocytopenia were filed with the European database of suspected adverse drug reactions, and around 69 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine were administered in the EU by 29 October 2021.

In Croatia, 562,938 doses of the Vaxzevria vaccine were administered by 6 December 2021, and 1,584 reports of suspected side effects were filed. Most or 81% of the side effects reported so far were not serious, were mild or moderate and lasted several days.

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ZAGREB, 5 Dec, 2021 - Croatia has registered 2,796 new coronavirus cases and 68 COVID-related deaths in the last 24 hours, the national coronavirus crisis management team reported on Sunday.

Currently, there are 29,478 active cases in the country. Among them are 2,381 people being treated for COVID-19 in hospitals, including 310 who are on ventilators. A total of 25,841 people are self-isolating.

Since 25 February 2020, when the first case was confirmed in Croatia, 631,037 people have been registered as having contracted the SARS-CoV-2 virus, of whom 11,218 have died and 590,341 have recovered, including 4,598 in the last 24 hours.

To date, 3,509,545 people have been tested for the new virus, including 8,277 in the last 24 hours.

As of 4 December, 4,245,741 vaccine doses have been administered, with 54.38 per cent of the total population, or 64.87 per cent of the adult population, having been vaccinated. A total of 2,206,995 persons have received at least one dose and 1,979,003 of them have been fully vaccinated, which is 58.40 per cent of the adult population.

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ZAGREB, 28 Nov, 2021 - In the last 24 hours 3,339 coronavirus cases and 64 COVID-19 deaths have been registered in Croatia, the national crisis management team said on Sunday.

There are 34,326 active cases, including 2,538 hospitalised patients, of whom 330 are on ventilators, while 22,900 persons are self-isolating.

To date 3,433,761 persons have been tested for the virus, including 9,010 in the last 24 hours.

Croatia has registered 603,316 coronavirus cases to date as well as 10,759 related deaths and 558,231 recoveries, of which 3,502 in the last 24 hours.

To date 53.59% of the total population has been vaccinated against COVID-19, including 63.95% of adults, 57.01% of whom have completed vaccination.

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November the 28th, 2021 - The Croatian Institute of Public Health has published a recommendation for the coronavirus booster dose in immunocompromised persons.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, according to these new recommendations, the coronavirus booster dose is especially recommended for sensitive groups (such as the elderly and the immunocompromised), but also for all people six months after receiving their primary vaccination(s).

“Taking into account the specifics of their health condition(s) as well as their family and work environments that may be important in making a decision on vaccination, for all persons aged 18 and over, at least 6 months must have passed after the completion of their primary vaccination, and then they can receive their coronavirus booster after speaking to their doctor.

People who have had COVID-19 and who have started and completed their primary vaccination after recovering from the illness don't need a third/booster dose.

The coronavirus booster vaccination is therefore available and recommended to everyone, and is ESPECIALLY important for the following categories of the population:

1) People living in care homes and adults with disabilities

2) Workers employed by care homes and who work with adults with disabilities

3) Healthcare professionals who directly care for patients at any level of healthcare

4) All persons aged 65 and over,

5) All persons aged 18 and over who share a household with immunocompromised and highly sensitive people

6) All persons aged 18 and over suffering from chronic diseases that increase the risk for more severe clinical picture of COVID-19 is contracted

Vaccination with the coronavirus booster dose is especially strongly recommended for immunocompromised individuals.

A total of 150,715 people across Croatia had been vaccinated with a coronavirus booster dose by the 24th of November, 2021.

The proposal for the organisation/improvement of the coronavirus booster vaccination rollout:

Improving the implementation of the coronavirus booster vaccine certainly requires all healthcare institutions and health care providers to, if they aren't doing so already, organise for the vaccination of their employees on the spot with an additional dose.

In addition, it's necessary to insist that all care homes, if they're not doing so already, to organise the vaccination of their employees and users on the spot with the third/additional dose in the same way as they organised vaccination in the first phase back in January and February 2021 (with the use of mobile teams).

It is also necessary to remind all GPs by letter that it is necessary for all adults for whom six months have passed since the end of their primary vaccination to be reminded by phone or e-mail (the latter requires almost no effort if a generic message is placed in the email inviting the person to come for vaccination) to come to get their coronavirus booster vaccine. Furthermore, family physicians should actively invite their insured persons for their third dose (by calling them by phone or e-mail for their booster dose).

To date, numerous mass vaccination points have been organised that are sometimes mobile. It is to be expected that these locations will adapt to the weather in this colder period of the year, so it's recommended that a person interested in receiving their coronavirus booster vaccination contact the competent public health institution in their county and seek information on the exact location of vaccination when it suits them.

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ZAGREB, 27 Nov, 2021 - In the last 24 hours 5,502 coronavirus cases and 51 COVID-19 deaths have been registered in Croatia, the national crisis management team said on Saturday.

There are 34,553 active cases, including 2,506 hospitalised patients, of whom 324 are on ventilators, while 28,272 persons are self-isolating.

To date 3,424,751 persons have been tested for the virus, including 13,372 in the last 24 hours.

Croatia has registered 599,977 coronavirus cases to date as well as 10,695 related deaths and 554,729 recoveries, of which 5,629 in the last 24 hours.

To date 53.43% of the total population has been vaccinated against COVID-19, including 63.77% of adults, 56.85% of whom have completed vaccination.

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ZAGREB, 27 Nov, 2021 - The deputy director of the Croatian Public Health Institute (HZJZ), Ivana Pavić Šimetin, said on Friday it could be assumed that the new coronavirus variant, called Omicron, had still not arrived in Croatia, confirming that the COVID-19 vaccine for children would arrive on 20 December.

Croatian scientists, too, are taking samples to see if the new coronavirus variant is present, and their sequencing takes about ten days, she said in an interview with Nova TV.

She noted that one could assume that the new variant had still not reached Croatia.

Pavić Šimetin explained that mutations can always occur if a virus is very much present in the population, if a large number of people are infected or are susceptible to infection.

In order to prevent mutations, it is important for as many people as possible to get vaccinated, which reduces virus circulation as well as the possibility of new variants emerging, she said.

The HZJZ official also said that on 20 December Croatia would obtain the Pfizer vaccine for children from age 5-11. Its distribution will take a few days, after which the vaccination of children will begin, Pavić Šimetin said.

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ZAGREB, 20 Nov, 2021 -  In the past 24 hours Croatia has registered 65 COVID-19-related deaths and 5,614 new infections, the national COVID-19 response team said on Saturday.

There are currently 34,882 active cases of the infection. A total of 2,542 COVID patients are hospitalised and 320 of them are on ventilators. As many as 27,969 people are in self-isolation.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic in February 2020, there have been 566,118 registered cases of the contagion and 10,243 people have died.

A total of 520,993 people have recovered, including 5,640 in the past 24 hours.

To date, 3,339,432 people have been tested for COVID-19, including 12,823 in the last 24 hours.

52.04% of total population vaccinated

As of Friday, November 19, a total of 3,963,116 doses of vaccine have been administered, with 52.04 per cent of the total population, or 62.14 per cent of the adult population, having been vaccinated.

As of Friday, 2,111,804 people have received at least one dose and 1,889,974 have been fully immunised, which is 55.85 per cent of the adult population.

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ZAGREB, 14 Nov, 2021 - The Homeland Movement said on Sunday it supported protests against "attempts to forcibly introduce vaccination and blackmail via so-called COVID certificates," adding that many of its members have joined in the protests and will not agree to segregation and first- and second-class citizens.

The opposition party said that under the Council of Europe's Resolution 2361, vaccination is not mandatory and no one must be discriminated against for not getting vaccinated.

It is hypocritical and politically rotten to hear the national COVID-19 crisis management team and the prime minister claim that there is no coercion against unvaccinated citizens or those who refuse to get tested, while on the other hand they are being fired because of "so-called" COVID certificates and prevented from exercising their right to work, access state institutions, free movement and many other human and civil rights, the party said.

Every citizen should have the right to choose whether to get vaccinated, the party said, adding that it would do everything at its disposal to prevent mandatory vaccination.

The Homeland Movement said it welcomed the Croatian Bishops Conference's objection to forced vaccination.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković's policy of stability culminated in his statement that mass vaccination is important also for raising Croatia's credit rating, the party said.

Correlating the credit rating and people's health is a continuation of the policy of ridiculing common sense, whose victims are all Croatian citizens, whether they have been vaccinated or not, it added.

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