Getting a vaccination

Who can get vaccinated right now?

The people who are in risk groups, and the front line workers and providers of essential services who have a higher risk of infection are getting vaccinated right now. Read more about how vaccination is organised in Estonia.
Vaccination will be temporarily postponed if you currently have a high fever, have COVID-19 or have been a close contact.
If more opportunities to get vaccinated arise, you will find out about it from the vaktsineeri.ee news and from general information channels.

If you are in a risk group, your family doctor will notify you of an opportunity to get vaccinated; starting from March 22 you will also get information from digilugu or from general information channels. Read who could belong to a risk group.
If you are a front line worker or a provider of an essential service (e.g. employee of a hospital or a social care facility, a teacher etc.), your employer will notify you of an opportunity to get vaccinated. Read more about who are considered to be the front line workers and the providers of essential services who have a higher risk of infection.

Be there on time or notify at first chance if you cannot go. This way we can avoid loss of doses and will get our people vaccinated faster.
Wear a mask when you come to get vaccinated and come only if you are healthy.
Wear the kind of clothing that would make you comfortable. The COVID-19 vaccines are injected into your shoulder.
The vaccinator will establish possible contraindications before vaccination and advises on other issues related to the vaccination.
Keep in mind that after receiving the vaccine you will have to stay under the observation of a healthcare worker for a further 15 minutes in case you start to feel unwell after the vaccination.
Studies have not shown any direct or indirect negative effect on pregnancy but the experience with using the COVID-19 vaccines on pregnant women is limited. For that reason it is allowed to use them during the pregnancy only if the possible benefits outweigh the potential risks to the mother and the foetus.

Keep in mind that most COVID-19 vaccines require you to get two shots. After the first shot you will receive an information sheet of the vaccine package where the vaccinator will note down the time of administering the second dose. Make sure you come and get the second shot, as one shot does not guarantee full protection.
Information on your vaccination will be entered into the health information system where you can see it yourself from your digilugu and print out the e-immunisation passport if necessary. If you wish you can also have the information entered into your yellow paper vaccination passport.
After you have been fully vaccinated, which generally means receiving two shots, you must still wear a mask, keep a distance etc. You don’t, however, need to stay in isolation, initially during the six months after your course of vaccinations. Read more about the restrictions in force.
If you get infected with the coronavirus after receiving the first dose of the vaccine, you will not be administered the second dose and you are considered vaccinated for the following 6 months.

Side effects might occur after vaccination. The more typical mild side effects of COVID-19 vaccines are pain and swelling of the injection site, headache, fever, feeling unwell, nausea, muscle pain, and joint pain. The symptoms usually pass within a few days.
If a more serious health problem or one that lasts more than three days occurs after vaccination, contact your family doctor or call 1220.
The vaccinators have an obligation to notify the State Agency of Medicines about side effects but if you wish you can notify the State Agency of Medicines yourself about health problems that have occurred after getting vaccinated.