STA, 5 November 2021 - Long queues have been forming outside vaccination centres since the government gave the go-ahead to those who have been fully vaccinated using vector-based vaccines [such as Janssen / Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Sputnik V or Convidecia] to get a booster dose at least two months after their latest jab. Some places have been faced with temporary vaccine shortages.
The Ajdovščina Health Centre in the south-west of the country told the STA on Friday that it had run out of the Pfizer vaccine. The centre's director Egon Stopar said that this week the booster dose had been administered to more people than in entire October.
Due to vaccine storage issues, the centre keeps its supplies at a certain level, so it was able to vaccinate only those people today who had an appointment. Those without a prior appointment will be able to get a jab on Monday, Stopar added.
Petra Kokoravec, the director of the Nova Gorica Community Health Centre in western Slovenia, told the STA that the vaccination demand was "enormous". Amidst the increased interest in getting a shot, the centre has so far not experienced any vaccine shortages.
UKC Maribor, the second largest medical centre in the country, has also recorded a growing demand for Covid-19 vaccines this week.
In light of this, the hospital's vaccination site will again be open over the weekends as well, from 8am to 4pm. Only the Pfizer vaccine is available and those interested are not required to book a vaccination slot, said UKC Maribor, adding that there was enough vaccines.
The increased demand has also been seen by the Brežice Health Centre in the east, which told the STA that people were mainly interested in booster doses.
There has been a slight increase in those wanting to get the first dose as well, said the centre's director Dražen Levojević, adding that there were no vaccine shortages.
All Covid vaccination sites across Slovenia keep updated vaccination schedules on their websites.
