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Ecuador and Chile reported this Wednesday, December 16, that they approved the use of the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech against the new coronavirus.
With this decision, These countries became the first two in South America to accept the vaccine and they joined Mexico, Panama and Costa Rica, which were the first in Latin America.
(We recommend: What is known about the arrival of the Oxford vaccine in Colombia).
The go-ahead in Ecuador
According to the Ecuadorian Minister of Health, Juan Carlos Zevallos, the Health Regulation and Control Agency (Arcsa) of that country “approved, on Tuesday night, that the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine can be administered” in that territory.
The distribution will be developed through a public-private partnership and seeks to cover 60% of the Ecuadorian population.
Distribution has to be made first to sentinel hospitals, which are currently serving to treat patients with covid-19
“The distribution has to be made first to sentinel hospitals (…), hospitals that are currently serving to treat patients with covid-19,” explained Zevallos, while adding that the negotiation to launch the The plan has been under development for two months and aspects such as importation, distribution, storage and vaccination points were analyzed.
(It may interest you: When will the vaccination against the coronavirus begin in Germany?).
The vaccination plan in Ecuador will be executed in three phases, being phase zero or pilot plan is that in which 50,000 doses will be applied to first-line personnel and older adults in geriatric centers and their workers.
In phase one, which will begin in late March or early April, health personnel, law enforcement agencies, firefighters, waste collection officials, strategic sectors and vulnerable groups will be massively vaccinated.
(See: Colombia allocates $ 281,000 million to buy vaccine from AstraZeneca).
In phases two and three, all people over 18 years of age will receive the vaccines, except for citizens with a bleeding disorder, severe allergic reactions to medicines or vaccines.
Nor will those infected with covid-19, immunosuppressed, receiving cancer treatments and pregnant women receive the vaccine, or who have planned to get pregnant in the next three months.
(Read: European Union could authorize the covid vaccine before Christmas).
Ecuador has registered more than 203,000 coronavirus infections.
It was also reported that the thousand vaccination points attached to the Ecuadorian Ministry of Health will increase to 10,000 nationwide, for which 20,000 professionals will be trained.
The Ecuadorian Executive will invest 200 million dollars in the vaccination plan.
Regarding the storage of vaccines in the cold chain, with dry ice, Zevallos explained that each Pfizer box will store 5,000 doses and 1,000 vials, and that the processing ensures that the doses are kept at a temperature of minus 70 degrees Celsius, valid for up to six months.
Until this Wednesday, Ecuador had more than 203,000 cases of COVID-19 infections and more than 13,000 deaths, between confirmed and probable.
(See: Fourth of the world’s population will not receive the vaccine until 2022).
The Chile case
Chile also authorized the importation of the vaccine. This was announced by the acting director of the Chilean Institute of Public Health (ISP), Heriberto García.
The decision was made by a committee of 22 experts who gave the green light to inoculation with this vaccine in the country to those over 16 years of age.
(Also read: Why hasn’t the CEO of Pfizer had the vaccine against covid-19?).
Chile currently has an adequate system to receive vaccines, it has such complex logistics to be able to vaccinate the population
“Chile currently has an adequate system to receive vaccines; it has such complex logistics to be able to vaccinate the population,” García added.
The government announced that it will vaccinate, first, the population most vulnerable to the virus, estimated at five million Chileans, which is equivalent to 26% of its citizens. This first group includes health workers, those over 65, chronically ill and people living in closed centers. Then it will advance towards the rest of the population.
(Learn the reasons why drug companies would not profit so much from the covid vaccine.)
Last September, Chile signed agreements to obtain millions of coronavirus vaccines, including one with Pfizer and BioNtech to access 10 million doses.
It was also integrated into Covax (a global initiative led by the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Union, Latin American countries, and foundations such as Bill and Melinda Gates), which will allow the country to access another eight million doses. of the vaccine you choose and have WHO validation.
(Read: Why should you wear a mask even after getting vaccinated against COVID?).
Chile has more than 576,000 infected by coronavirus.
Another reservation he made was that of 14.4 million doses of the immunizer that the AstraZeneca laboratory is developing in conjunction with the University of Oxford, and reached an agreement with China’s Sinovac laboratory to access another 20 million doses.
So far, the country registers more than 576,000 infected with coronavirus and more than 15,900 deaths.
(See: This will be the complex distribution of the covid-19 vaccine in the US.)
AFP AND EFE
