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“Today is an important day. Portugal, like what other countries have been doing in recent days, has a plan for the distribution of the covid-19 vaccine, “began the Minister of Health, Marta Temido.
The minister also said that the process began in summer, so that “safe and quality vaccines” can be had access, which will be “one of the essential instruments to face this disease.” After the certification processes, the vaccine is expected to arrive in the country in early January.
Marta Temido said that the first scenario, in Portugal, involves “vaccines that will be distributed in the National Health Service, universally, free and administered according to the summary of the characteristics of the drug.”
The vaccines will be “distributed at various points of the National Health Service, using as much as possible what is the NHS chain, then eventually expandable to other points of the system, with secure logistics and with records that allow you to follow and monitor at all times”. the process in its various dimensions ”, he explained.
“This is a moment of the utmost importance and a moment, after all, when we cannot be distracted from the fact that vaccine availability will need to continue to be monitored for many months,” said the minister.
Rui Ivo, president of Infarmed, also present at the conference, said that the process until the arrival of the vaccine “is the result of a strategy that was coordinated within the European Union, sanctioned by the EU Health Ministers, in June 2020 “, in order to” guarantee the quality and safety of vaccines “, as with any medicine, as well as” guarantee access for all Member States and their population at the same time “.
The president of Infarmed explained that, due to the “uncertainty” inherent to covid-19, it was necessary to guarantee a “portfolio” of vaccines, so that several will be considered in the country. At the moment, six agreements are concluded in Portugal: AstraZeneca (6.9 million), Sanofi and GSK (without defined doses), Johnson & Johnson (4.5 million), Pfizer (4.5 million), CureVac (between 4 5 million for Portugal) and Moderna (1.8 million).
In turn, Francisco Ramos, coordinator of the working group created by the government to define the vaccination plan, explained that “a vaccination strategy is at stake with the definition of priority groups, a vaccine administration plan, a logistics plan “. a security plan, clinical monitoring and communication to the public ”.
Objectives of the vaccination plan:
- “Reduce mortality and hospitalizations, especially in intensive care units”, relieving the “pressure on the NHS”;
- “Control outbreaks, especially in the most vulnerable populations, controlling the impact on the NHS and the economy”;
Administration of the vaccine:
- “Universal, free, optional and available to the entire population according to the characteristics that are approved”;
- Priority groups for the 1st phase:
- People aged 50 years and over with heart failure, coronary artery disease, real failure, and chronic respiratory disease with ventilatory support;
- People who reside in nursing homes and enter long-term care units and their professionals;
- The most vulnerable populations, such as the elderly;
- Health professionals directly involved in the provision of care;
- General security forces with essential services.
- Priority groups for the 2nd phase:
- People over 65 years of age without associated pathologies;
- People over 50 years of age, but with a broader range of associated pathologies, such as diabetes, active malignancy, kidney disease, liver failure, obesity, high blood pressure, among others.
How many people will be vaccinated and when?
In presenting the plan, Francisco Ramos estimated that 950,000 people will be vaccinated in the first phase, with 250,000 being the group of households, 400,000 people over 50 and associated comorbidities, and 300,000 professionals.
In the second phase, 1.8 million people over 65 will be vaccinated. As for the third phase, this will be “for the rest of the population”, and everything depends on the “supply rate” of the vaccines.
“In an optimistic scenario, the first wave of vaccination will occur between January and February. In what will be the typical scenario, from January to March. If in fact things are going worse than scheduled in terms of delivery, from January to April. what can be said for sure is that in January we will be able to start the vaccination process, “he explained.
The coordinator of the vaccination plan also mentioned that it is necessary to have the guarantee that whoever takes the first dose of the vaccine has access to the second dose, ensuring that there is correspondence between the brands and places in the places where it can be taken.
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