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Delivery delays accumulated by Pfizer-BioNTech now run the risk of slipping the start of vaccinations for 80 years. In other words, the last and most consistent risk category included in phase 1 of the vaccination campaign may have to wait a week or two longer than expected before vaccination.
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It is about 4 and a half million people who, according to the different schedules that the Regions make on the availability proposed by the pharmaceutical company, should have started receiving the first dose between the end of January and the first half of February. However, things could go differently and move the time horizon a bit more so as not to waste the work done to date. The available doses are actually lower than expected and therefore – unless Pfizer does not remedy, but from the structure of the Commissioner for Emergency Domenico Arcuri they say that “there is no evidence that it can do it next week, in fact “- those that are received will be destined to those who will receive the second dose 21 days after the first administration.
MISSING DOSES
But let’s go in order. For the current week of the Puurs plants in Belgium, after a unilateral decision by Pfizer dictated by the maintenance interventions of the plant, 29% fewer vials have left for Italy than the agreed schedule. That’s roughly 165,000 missing doses from just over 562,000. A drastic reduction that runs the risk of clogging the Italian vaccination plan. Especially since the choice of Pfizer was also arbitrary in terms of distribution. “The real problem – explained Luigi Icardi, coordinator of the Health Commission of the Conference of the Regions – is that the cut was not applied in a linear way for all the Regions. Some have not had cuts, others have had them instead by 60%. Then there must be an equalization between the Regions ». A solidarity agreement for which the governors already on Tuesday night, during a meeting with Arcuri and the ministers Boccia and Speranza, laid the foundations. As well as it was decided that in the next few days it will take legal action against Pfizer through the State Attorney’s Office for breach of contract.
However, these are only initial steps. Beyond the problems of territorial equality and the legitimate indignation over the treatment suffered (the 6 governors of the Northern League yesterday publicly invited Prime Minister Conte to assume his responsibility), continue with the defined roadmap and then start with the elders of 80. Starting next week, the pharmaceutical company would have to immediately recover the accumulated disadvantage. But it won’t. Also next week there will be a new cut in the doses of the Pfizer vaccine -added Icardi-. As of January 25, it will not be in order again ”. Arcuri spoke of “a slight additional reduction in deliveries,” about 5,000 doses out of the 470,000 planned, which, however, do not ensure the performance of the new first vaccinations. For these, in fact, we need to recover the gap from last week, but it will not be done before February.
The only certainty is that, by eliminating the spot vaccines made between Christmas and New Years, the recall campaign has just started and must be protected. If the second doses are not given after 21 days for Pfizer (28 for the very few inoculated Moderna vials), the 95% efficacy of the vaccine can no longer be guaranteed. That is why the (few) doses arrived in these days and those that will arrive next week should largely be destined for the “old” administrations, effectively blocking the new ones.
And here those over 80 come into play. Despite the optimism of the government, with the Undersecretary of Health Pierpaolo Sileri who said he was “confident that the vaccination schedules are respected”, for the elderly the start of vaccinations specifically risks slipping . “Pfizer’s delays place priority on the administration of second doses to complete vaccination coverage,” said Lazio Health Councilor Alessio D’Amato. Giacomo Lucchini, coordinator of the campaign in Lombardy more clearly: “Delays in deliveries will postpone the end of the first phase from February 28 to March 11.” Therefore, the start of the anti-Covid vaccination campaign will be postponed both for the 80-year-olds and for the chronically ill (the latter are the first on the list for the second phase), for whom there is a risk of having to wait for Let Moderna increase distribution. or that Astrazeneca doses are available.
There is also one more clue to this effect. Even the 1,500 doctors and nurses who, according to Arcuri’s indications, should have “gone out into the field” yesterday, will not enter service before next week. In the best of the hypotheses from Monday 25, but it is not said that it will be like that.
Last update: January 21 at 06:25
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