The Ministry is preparing an update of the vaccination decree, which aims to accelerate the vaccination of people most at risk of COVID-19. The decree is not yet valid, it is currently on the comment. The Ministry will inform about its issue and effectiveness. Therefore, we ask that citizens do not require vaccinations as a guide in vaccination centres, as this will only be possible after the decree enters into force. Vaccination centres are not yet authorised to vaccinate such persons.
Basic changes in the Order:
Priorisation of severely chronically ill patients
Chronicly ill patients with severe disease significantly increasing the risk of serious COVID-19 disease and will be enrolled as individuals aged 65 years.
Priorisation of moderately chronically ill patients
The same priority as those aged 60 years will be given to those with moderate disease increasing the risk of serious COVID-19.
How to register chronically ill patients
Health insurance companies have established lists of their insured persons with chronic diseases, which are specified in the Decree. The candidate will register on the website www.korona.gov.skthan any other applicant. In case the system matches the data from the registration form and the insurance company, once the capacity is opened, the deadlines will first be allocated to candidates over 65 years of age, then free deadlines will be allocated to patients with severe chronic diseases and the next step will be allocated to candidates older than 60 years of age and subsequently to patients with moderate disease. All interested in these groups will be vaccinated with vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTEch and Moderna.
What if a registered candidate receives a term for another vaccine?
If the candidate for vaccination receives a date for a vaccine other than that for the above categories (60+, chronically ill), he/she is not on the list of chronically ill patients established by his/her health insurance company. In such a case, the candidate should contact his health insurance company.
Group vaccination
For those who are older than 60 years of age but are difficult to complete through the system set up to date, the possibility of group vaccination using special exit vaccination units is introduced. The method of registration of candidates for such vaccination and the organisation in cooperation with the healthcare provider will be ensured at regional level by the competent self-governing region.
Guide for persons older than 70 years
Seniors over the age of 70 are the most vulnerable people with COVID-19. In order to speed up the vaccination process among the oldest part of the population, the draft decree foresees that a senior aged over 70 years of age may also be vaccinated by the accompanying person in order to be accompanied by a person accompanying the vaccination. Seniors will only be able to accompany one person for vaccination and will only be concerned by those over 70 who have not yet received the first dose of vaccine, i.e. new registrations.
Technical adaptations to the registration form are being prepared these days so that the system is ready to be deployed at the date of entry into force of the Decree.
However, it is still the case that the system will take age into account when allocating vaccination deadlines, i.e. older candidates will always take precedence over younger people. The age of the senior shall be taken into account for the procession.
The expected effective date of the updated Decree is 1 May 2021.
The severe disease group will include patients:
- with severe disability
- disease under disease
- with active form of haemato-oncological disease
- following solid organ transplantation
- After haematopoietic cell transplantation (BMT)
- chronic obstructive bronchopulmonary disease stage GOLD C, D
- previously treated for severe sepsis or who have had at least two severe pneumonia in the past
- moderate and severe restricted ventilation failure
- Chronic heart failure (NYHA III, IV)
- after a stroke with permanent serious consequences
- severe pulmonary hypertension, severe forms of cardiac restriction
- diabetes mellitus with an organ disease manifestation of at least 2 organs
- AIDS/late presenter HIV
- chronic renal failure (GF less than 0.5 ml/s)
- with extreme obesity, BMI greater than 35
- with severe psychiatric conditions (high risk of passing on infection to others)
- hepatic cirrhosis
- with severe metabolic diseases, dispensation and requiring replacement therapy
- with severe immune impairment requiring dispensation and replacement therapy
- with severe neurological disease, multiple sclerosis requiring treatment, myasthenia gravis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and others
- Mental, congenital or other disease with significant reduction in cognitive function (significant risk of disease spreading)
- with severe forms of rheumatological, gastroenterological and other diseases requiring biological treatment
- serious bleeding disorders
- serious course of infectious diseases (e.g. Tuberculosis)
The moderate disease group will include patients:
- cancer in long-term remission
- history of cancer
- with second and third degree ESH/EHC hypertension
- with ischaemic heart disease, a patient with history of myocardial infarction and stroke with no major complications
- chronic obstructive bronchopulmonary disease stage GOLD A,B
- treated for bronchial asthma and severe forms of allergy and atopia
- with a slight degree of restriction of ventilation failure
- diabetes mellitus with single organ involvement
- history of sepsis or pneumonia
- AIDS-free HIV positive
- chronic renal failure (GF greater than 0.5 ml/s)
- Obesity BMI greater than 30
- with moderate mental illness (higher risk of passing on infection to others)
- chronic liver disease not in cirrhosis
- moderate metabolic disease, dispensed and not requiring replacement therapy
- with moderate immune impairment requiring dispensation and replacement therapy
- with moderate forms of rheumatological, chronic gastroenterological and other diseases not requiring biological treatment
- with moderate bleeding disorders