May the 21st, 2021 - Just how is the Croatian vaccination process going and what is the situation for those who will be leaving their registered place of residence during summer, but need to get their second dose?

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, what will the Croatian vaccination process and receiving the second dose of the vaccine look like in the upcoming season which will be full of summer holidays in Croatia with people staying for longer periods outside of their place of residence? All of that was explained the Croatian Institute of Public Health, which has informed people to contact the health services of their places of registered residence.

''There's a possibility that people who will be outside of their place of residence during their planned second dose of the vaccine can be vaccinated before or after going to the coast or even when on holiday with a doctor of their choice or at public health institutes if the recommended vaccination interval allows,'' the Institute stated.

The recommended interval between the first and second dose of Comirnaty (Pfizer) is three to six weeks, Moderna four weeks (it can be extended to six weeks if necessary), and for Vaxzevria (AstraZeneca) that recommended interval is between four and twelve weeks.

More practically, the Janssen Johnson & Johnson vaccine is administered in just one single dose.

In case of urgent need, it is okay for all of these vaccines to deliver a second dose four days before the earliest recommended date. Alternatively, people can be vaccinated at the place where they will be staying at the scheduled time for their second dose of the vaccine.

''We'd like to note that the organisation and planning of vaccination, given the distribution plan and characteristics of these vaccines (which arrive in certain quantities which are planned for) we require advance information about the planned number of doses and types of vaccines.

Therefore, we'd like to ask people to announce and pre-arrange their second dose of the vaccination with doctors in their place of temporary residence, or at the competent health centre at that location, so that the necessary additional doses can be planned and provided, with a request to understand that this may not always be possible at the requested time,'' they stated from the Institute as the Croatian vaccination process picks up its pace.

Just what will this procedure look like in practice when it comes to tourist areas, primarily in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, whose tourist destinations on the coast and islands see population increases of several times during the summer? Dr. Vladimir Micovic answered this for Novi List.

''The idea is for people to be vaccinated before they leave their places of residence and to get vaccinated in the areas where they live. But of course, if they find themselves in our area, we'll do our best to get them the necessary vaccine. At this end, we'll open up some additional channels for communication. So far, in some cases, we've vaccinated people who don't have registered residence in this area, as well as foreign citizens who live here,'' Micovic explained.

For more on the Croatian vaccination process, make sure to follow our lifestyle section.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, including travel, border and quarantine rules, as well as the locations of testing centres and vaccination points up and down the country, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and select your preferred language.

February 8, 2021 - Vaccination in Croatia continues as the Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines will be distributed in Slavonia and Dalmatia on Monday. 

HRT reports that Croatia's favorable epidemiological situation continues, as 276 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed on Sunday. The share of positive cases among those tested was 5.3%. Unfortunately, another 25 patients died.

The number of patients in hospital treatment and on ventilators was the same as Saturday - 1,142 patients are in hospital, and 107 are on ventilators.

On Monday, 25,200 doses of the Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccine will be distributed in Croatia. Those over the age of 65, the chronically ill, and everyone else who wants to be vaccinated will be vaccinated.

Epidemiologist Iva Pem Novosel (Croatian Public Health Institute) explained that the distribution to Slavonia and Dalmatia starts on Monday. Istria and central Croatia will receive doses on Wednesday, and the northern part of Croatia will receive them on Friday. Vaccine quantities are determined in proportion to the population.

Although pensioners' associations are asking to postpone the vaccination of the elderly with the AstraZeneca vaccine, Pem Novosel says that Croatia's situation is not such that vaccination should be postponed.

"Already after the first dose, the effectiveness develops in three weeks, and when two full doses are received with the maximum interval of 12 weeks, that efficiency is as much as 82%," she says.

On Sunday, Split-Dalmatia and Primorje-Gorski Kotar counties were in the lead in terms of the number of infected people.

Vladimir Mićović, NZJZ director of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, called for caution when easing measures.

He is in favor of, he said, a certain gradual opening if there are indicators and preconditions, and above all, the opening of schools. He also mentioned, "coffee on terraces."

"Maybe we should think about it if there are conditions," he said.

On Monday, high school students return to the classroom in Zagreb and Lika-Senj County.

"Almost 30,000 additional high school students from Zagreb will return to school on Monday. All those schools that worked according to model A in the first half of the year will work according to the same model Monday, and it is difficult to say how this will affect the epidemiological situation," says Ivica Lovrić, head of the Zagreb City Office for Education.

Compared to December, Zagreb schools are 10 times less infected, he added.

"We have 114 infected students and 86 infected employees. If we put this in the context of somewhere around 100,000 children and employees coming to schools, then that really isn’t a big number. We hope that the number will not grow; of course, if the epidemiological situation worsens, we will again consider the introduction of model C," he points out.

Valentina Zdunić, head of the Department for Social Activities of Lika-Senj County, announced that as of Monday, a total of 1,135 high school students would be in school. She emphasized that the schools are ready and that if the epidemiological situation worsens, they will switch to another teaching model.

To prevent this from happening, adhering to epidemiological guidelines is the best option.

To read more about COVID-19 in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.