Berrío: Booster vaccines would be applied from the first quarter of 2022
The Deputy Minister of Health stressed that they are in negotiations with the pharmaceutical company Pfizer to provide them with this third dose.
The Vice Minister of Health of Panama (Minsa), Ivette Berrío said that they are currently in negotiations with the pharmaceutical company Pfizer to provide the country, especially the vulnerable population, with a third booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, which they would be applying in 2022.
"We have followed up on the studies developed by the pharmaceutical houses and the endorsement is already given to Pfizer and we sat down with this pharmaceutical house to acquire this third dose to apply it to the most vulnerable population ... which would be from next year," explained the deputy minister.
Berrío indicated that the health authorities are keeping abreast of all the studies and investigations that are being carried out at the moment to make timely decisions for the benefit of the Panamanian population and added that they hope to achieve community immunity between October and November, and later schedule the placement of a booster vaccine, the vulnerable population being the first to receive this third dose.
"We contemplate advancing in the vaccination process and of course finishing before the end of the year, we are thinking about the end of October or the first days of November to have our population vaccinated or at least have already achieved the collective immunity that we so long for After that ... we are in talks with the Pfizer house to achieve the necessary amount to start the vaccination process again in 2022 in the first quarter of next year ... With the information we receive, it is information that changes day by day, with the advance of the mutation and the new strains of the virus that have been shown to be more aggressive in their spread and in the clinical manifestation of the disease,We consider taking into account that the reinforcement will help not only to contain the spread of the virus but also to help the human being to improve his immunological condition to continue facing, not only the COVID-19 disease, but all the manifestations that are appearing with the new strains that are more aggressive," added Berrío.
The deputy minister also said that they have followed up on the studies that address the possibility of vaccinating minors ranging from 5 to 11 years old, and points out that the pharmaceutical company Pfizer has given them the information in which they are advancing in this investigation.
"We have followed up on the studies developed by the pharmaceutical houses and the endorsement is already given to Pfizer and we sat down with this pharmaceutical house to acquire this third dose to apply it to the most vulnerable population ... which would be from next year," explained the deputy minister.
Berrío indicated that the health authorities are keeping abreast of all the studies and investigations that are being carried out at the moment to make timely decisions for the benefit of the Panamanian population and added that they hope to achieve community immunity between October and November, and later schedule the placement of a booster vaccine, the vulnerable population being the first to receive this third dose.
"We contemplate advancing in the vaccination process and of course finishing before the end of the year, we are thinking about the end of October or the first days of November to have our population vaccinated or at least have already achieved the collective immunity that we so long for After that ... we are in talks with the Pfizer house to achieve the necessary amount to start the vaccination process again in 2022 in the first quarter of next year ... With the information we receive, it is information that changes day by day, with the advance of the mutation and the new strains of the virus that have been shown to be more aggressive in their spread and in the clinical manifestation of the disease,We consider taking into account that the reinforcement will help not only to contain the spread of the virus but also to help the human being to improve his immunological condition to continue facing, not only the COVID-19 disease, but all the manifestations that are appearing with the new strains that are more aggressive," added Berrío.
The deputy minister also said that they have followed up on the studies that address the possibility of vaccinating minors ranging from 5 to 11 years old, and points out that the pharmaceutical company Pfizer has given them the information in which they are advancing in this investigation.