Questions and answers on coronavirus, related decisions and changes

Why should I get vaccinated?

There are several reasons why you should get vaccinated against the coronavirus:

The progression of COVID-19 is unpredictable and it can damage the health and quality of life of both a younger and an older person for a long time
All vaccines available in Estonia reduce severe infections and hospitalisations
Those who have recovered from the disease and then gotten vaccinated have a significantly smaller chance of getting infected again.
Every vaccinated person counts -- this way we are protecting the weakest among us who cannot get vaccinated due to their health condition. These can be our parents, children, friends, acquaintances, or simply people we pass on the street. Vaccinating is caring.

Vaccinating against the coronavirus is probably the only sustainable and real solution to stop the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last updated: 22.03.2023 11:33

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How can I get vaccinated against COVID-19?

You can find all vaccination points at https://vaktsineeri.ee/en/covid-19/vaccination-points/.

A vaccination appointment can be booked:

at the digital registry at http://www.digilugu.ee
at a pharmacy: find a pharmacy closest to you and book an appointment at the web page vaktsineeriapteegis.ee (in Estonian)
by calling the registry of the local hospital or medical institution.

It is also possible to get immunised without prior registration in vaccination buses and vaccination points. You can find all the options in different towns and counties from the web page vaktsineeri.ee -- locations that have no prior booking requirement have a green label "without registration".

The location of vaccination is not connected to a person's official place of residence: everyone can book an appointment and go to get vaccinated in an area suitable to them all across Estonia. A booking for a minor must be done by his legal representative.

In addition to hospitals and private health care service providers it is possible to get vaccinated at schools (more information: vaktsineeri.ee (in Estonian). The elderly and people in risk groups also continue to be vaccinated by family doctors.

Make certain to be on time for your vaccination appointment or let the vaccinating institution know at first chance if you will not be able to go to your agreed upon vaccination for some reason.

If you need further counselling on COVID-19 vaccinations, we recommend that you consult with your family doctor or call the Family Doctor's Advice Line 1220 or 634 66 30. The calls are answered by medical professionals 24/7. Advice is given in Estonian and Russian (advice in English every day between 15.00 and 17.00).

Last updated: 21.03.2023 11:56

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I received one dose of the vaccine and became infected with the coronavirus. What will happen to the second dose?

If you have already received one dose of the vaccine before you got infected, the necessity of a second shot depends on the moment you fell ill:

if you got COVID-19 within two weeks of receiving the first dose, the recommendation is to administer one dose of the vaccine on the sixth month after recovery. After this the course of vaccinations is considered completed. Before receiving the second dose, if necessary, a person can prove their infection risk status with a COVID-19 recovery certificate which is valid if less than 180 days have passed since the positive test result (PCR test).
if you got COVID-19 more than two weeks after receiving the shot, it is no longer necessary to administer the second shot and the course of vaccinations is considered completed.

In both cases it should be kept in mind that the vaccination status does not change automatically on the digital COVID certificates, rather a certificate needs to be created again after the health care service provider has entered the information proving recovery (for instance, a positive PCR test result). If there are any questions about the information on the COVID certificate created, you can turn to the user support line of the Health and Welfare Information Systems Centre +372 794 3943 (7.00 to 22.00) or from the e-mail abi@tehik.ee.

If there is an unavoidable need (due to travel restrictions in certain countries etc.) a doctor can administer a person who has recovered from COVID-19 a second dose as well if the person wishes (the minimum time between the two doses is the interval determined in the summary of vaccine properties).

Last updated: 01.10.2021 17:31

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Do I also get an EU COVID certificate if I am vaccinated with a Russian, Chinese or some other coronavirus vaccine?

No, you do not. If you have been vaccinated in another country, you can use an immunisation certificate received in that other country to prove your vaccination status. Estonia recognizes all those vaccinations that are recognized in the person's country of departure (including, for instance, vaccination courses completed with Sputnik V, Sputnik Lite, Sinovac, Sinopharm etc).

You can only get the digital EU COVID certificate in Estonia if your course of vaccinations was completed in Estonia.

Last updated: 25.11.2021 20:24

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Am I allowed to get the COVID-19 vaccine, and tick-borne encephalitis or flu vaccine at the same time?

The vaccine against tick-borne encephalitis (the so-called tick vaccine):

The interval between the COVID-19 vaccine and the vaccine against tick-borne encephalitis should be 14 days.

Flu vaccine:

There in no fixed interval of time that should be left between the COVID-19 vaccine and the flu vaccine. The vaccines can be received on the same day as well, but in orde to identify possible reactions, the shots should be administered to different arms.

Last updated: 23.09.2021 15:34

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What kind of an interval must be left between the two shots of the vaccine when I go to get vaccinated for the first time?

The manufacturer has determined the intervals the vaccine doses according to the results of clinical studies. The period prescribed by the manufacturer provides the highest efficacy of the vaccine, based on the results of the studies. For this reason it is important to administer the second dose at the prescribed time, generally no sooner than the summary of the vaccine properties suggests. For instance, if a person becomes ill and cannot go the get the second dose at the agreed upon time, the second dose can be administered later but preferably at first opportunity after recovery.

The interval between the two shots by vaccine:

the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine: 6 weeks (maximum protection is achieved 7 days after receiving the second dose)
the Moderna vaccine: 4 weeks (maximum protection is achieved 14 days after receiving the second dose)

Good to know! Once the initial course has been completed, the booster doses are administered when at least six months have passed since the last dose or recovery from COVID-19.

Last updated: 22.03.2023 11:36

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Is it allowed to work out after vaccination?

If you are feeling good, you may work out. If you get side effects like fever, we recommend refraining from working out.

Last updated: 20.05.2021 16:26

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Why am I asked before vaccination whether I have had the virus?

Having had COVID-19 is not a contraindication to vaccination. According to the current recommendation, the people who have recovered are also being vaccinated with one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The level of antibodies provided by vaccination is tens of times higher than we get just by having the virus. This will also give us longer immunity.

While the vaccine volumes are limited, the preferred target group should be those who have not had COVID-19 within the last 6 months.

If a person has had the virus without being aware of it himself, he will be vaccinated with two doses of the vaccine, which is not dangerous to the organism.

Last updated: 20.05.2021 16:25

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Is it allowed to consume alcohol before or after vaccination?

Consuming alcohol is not a direct contraindication and does not affect the production of antibodies but we do not recommend consuming alcohol either before or after vaccination. Temporary mild side effects, like fever, headache, muscle pain etc., may occur after receiving the coronavirus vaccination and n interaction with the vaccine, the alcohol could make you feel even worse.

Chronic alcoholics may have a weaker immune response.

It is definitely not allowed to go to the vaccination drunk! We ask you to be respectful towards the doctors and nurses that are administering the vaccinations.

Last updated: 23.09.2021 17:33

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Is it allowed to eat before getting vaccinated? Or is it allowed to go without eating first?

It is allowed to eat before vaccination. If you wish, you can also go without eating first. We would rather recommend eating something first so that missing a meal would not make you feel worse overall.

Last updated: 20.05.2021 16:25

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Is it necessary to vaccinate people who have recovered from COVID-19 and when should they be vaccinated?

The state immunoprophylaxis expert committee recommends vaccinating people who have recovered from COVID-19 with one dose on the sixth month after recovery and consider the course of vaccinations completed with this. The committee recommends vaccinating with one dose even if more than six months have passed since recovery from COVID-19, in order to ensure long term protection. According to the calculations the member of the Scientific Council and the professor of Mathematical Statistics at the University of Tartu, Krista Fischer, did based on the infection indicators from July and August, those that have recovered from the disease and then gotten vaccinated, have a 20 times smaller chance of getting infected again.

If you have already received one dose of the vaccine before you got infected, the necessity of a second shot depends on the moment you fell ill:

if you got COVID-19 within two weeks of receiving the first dose, the recommendation is to administer one dose of the vaccine on the sixth month after recovery. After this the course of vaccinations is considered completed. Before receiving the second dose, if necessary, a person can prove their infection risk status with a COVID-19 recovery certificate which is valid if less than 180 days have passed since the positive test result (PCR test).
if you got COVID-19 more than two weeks after receiving the shot, it is no longer necessary to administer the second shot and the course of vaccinations is considered completed.

In both cases it should be kept in mind that the vaccination status does not change automatically on the digital COVID certificates, rather a certificate needs to be created again after the health care service provider has entered the information proving recovery (for instance, a positive PCR test result). If there are any questions about the information on the COVID certificate created, you can turn to the user support line of the Health and Welfare Information Systems Centre +372 794 3943 (7.00 to 22.00) or from the e-mail abi@tehik.ee.

If there is an unavoidable need (due to travel restrictions in certain countries etc.) a doctor can administer a person who has recovered from COVID-19 a second dose as well if the person wishes (the minimum time between the two doses is the interval determined in the summary of vaccine properties).

Last updated: 27.10.2021 16:49

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What are mRNA and DNA vaccines?

With these vaccines, the genetic material of the pathogen is delivered into the organism in the form of either DNA or RNA, and based on the information contained in it, the organism itself will synthesize the part of the pathogen necessary for the creation of immunity, i.e. the antigen. As a rule, this is some protein of the pathogen, in the case of the coronavirus the spike protein on its surface. One way of describing the situation would be that if an organism needs food daily, in the case of one vaccine a ready meal is delivered, in the case of another the organism is delivered a recipe and the organism itself is capable of preparing the food with the help of the recipe.

Compared to a protein, the mRNA is a simpler molecule and thus the production of mRNA is generally faster than the production of vaccines that have been in use up until now. The idea of vaccines based on mRNA is actually already decades old and this type of vaccines have been tested in clinical studies for different infectious diseases. For different reasons, none of them have been taken into use on humans thus far. There is reason to hope that technological development will allow it now.

More information is available here: https://somblogi.wordpress.com/2020/12/22/triin-suvi-ja-pille-saalik-ravimiametist-selgitavad-kuidas-toimivad-meie-kehas-koroonavaktsiini-erinvad-tuubid/

Last updated: 27.12.2020 17:16

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Are all approved COVID-19 vaccines suitable for everybody?

As several different vaccines are on the market and being developed, their characteristics are certain to somewhat differ from each other.

Whether a vaccine is suitable or unsuitable for somebody is noted on the information sheet of the vaccine. Who should be vaccinated and how is best known to the medical worker who carries out the vaccination.

If you need further counselling in order to make a decision about the COVID-19 vaccination, we recommend consulting with your family doctor or calling the Family Doctor's Advice Line 1220 or 634 66 30. Medical professionals are answering the calls there 24/7. Advice is given in Estonian and Russian (it is possible to get advice in English every day between 15.00 and 17.00).

More about the vaccines can be read from here: https://vaktsineeri.ee/en/covid-19/covid-19-vaccines/

Last updated: 09.09.2021 14:46

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Are all the approved COVID-19 vaccines safe?

Yes. All the COVID-19 vaccines that have received a marketing authorisation in Europe have been assessed to be sufficiently safe and effective in fighting the coronavirus by the European Medicines Agency. The vaccines are analysed by scientists and authorities whose task it is to guarantee that they would meet all quality, safety, and efficacy requirements in force. The conditions for receiving a marketing authorisation have not been loosened due to the pandemic and no compromises have been made in the evaluation criteria (safety, quality, efficacy).

No vaccine or medicine is ever 100% free of side effects but a marketing authorisation is given to medicines and vaccines that offer a benefit that is bigger than the possible risks (suffering through the disease that the vaccine prevents and the complications are harder or more dangerous to health than the side effect linked to the vaccine). Careful monitoring of the efficacy and safety of the vaccines continues even after the marketing authorisation is issued and the vaccine is taken up.

If you need further counselling in order to make a decision about the COVID-19 vaccination, we recommend consulting with your family doctor or calling the Family Doctor's Advice Line 1220 or 634 66 30. Medical professionals are answering the calls there 24/7. Advice is given in Estonian and Russian (it is possible to get advice in English every day between 15.00 and 17.00).

Vaccines