Estonian PM disappointed at parlt speaker's decision to postpone vaccination

TALLINN - Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that the decision by President of the Riigikogu Juri Ratas to postpone his vaccination came as a surprise to her, the "Aktuaalne kaamera" evening news program of Estonia's ETV public television reported on Tuesday.

The head of government and leader of the senior partner in the two-party government coalition Reform Party said that one of the aims of members of the government and the parliament getting vaccinated was to lead by example. 

"This is the decision we made on March 12 -- to vaccinate members of the government and the parliament with this vaccine [by AstraZeneca] to assuage these fears. Thus, I expected for the president of the Riigikogu to set a good example," Kallas said.

Ratas' fellow party member and EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson got her coronavirus shot on Tuesday, however.

"There is no point in condemning anyone today. We're in a situation where there is still a shortage of vaccines. There are far more people who want to get vaccinated and thus protect both themselves and others than there are doses available that are used in Europe," Simson said.

Ratas was to get his first vaccine dose at East Tallinn Central Hospital at 11:40 a.m. on Tuesday but decided against doing so shortly before the procedure.

The president of the Riigikogu said on Facebook that he had consulted with his family doctor and decided to get the shot when it is his age group's turn to be vaccinated.