After questions arose about the vaccination against COVID-19 from officials of the National Assembly, the Ministry of Health ( Minsa ) of Panama detailed how the Vaccination Plan is progressing at the national level.

According to the entity, Panama is currently in Phase 2, however “Phase 1, Phase 1B,” which comprises the essential groups by virtue of tasks and responsibilities, is still nearing completion.

National Police - 20,000 doses
Senan - 3,861 doses
Senafront - 3,940 doses
RLS - 1,649 doses
Prison Custodians - 216 doses
Firefighters - 4,161 doses
Sinaproc - 1,200 doses
Red Cross - 1,171 doses
SUME - 415 doses
University of Panama / teachers and administrators - 2,738 doses
Unachi - 612 doses
Caipis - 400 doses
Teachers - 56,378 doses
Back to School Strategy - 5,956 doses
Panama Canal Authority - 2,866 doses
Atlantic and Pacific ports - 5,342 doses
Supreme Court of Justice - 1,066 doses
Public Ministry - 1,631 doses
National Assembly - 505 doses
Idaan - 515 doses
Toilet Authority - 5,057 doses
Tocumen Airport - 1,042 doses
Passport Authority - 102 doses
Customs Authority - 170 doses
National Migration Service - 528 doses
Chronic Patients - 183,000 doses

Likewise, the Minsa indicated that it is about to start immunization against COVID-19 in the Electoral Tribunal, Civil Aeronautics, and Mi Bus.

"The attention of the essential groups does not represent any delay in the advance of vaccination, showing positive results that the country knows," says the Minsa.

All of these officials have been immunized with Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine.

The Minsa added that, “as a result of having established the voluntary nature of the AstraZeneca vaccine, thousands of people who were to be vaccinated in Phase 4, such as men over 30 and women over 50, are currently immunized ”.

This clarification arises after the contradictions of the heads of the Ministry of Health (Minsa), Luis Francisco Sucre and Ivette Berrío, who said they did not know about the vaccination in the Assembly and that they had not approved it. Subsequently, Sucre said that the PanavaC-19 operation center is in charge of approving the changes in the immunization strategy against COVID-19.

Initially, the vaccination schedule corresponded to the priority groups by phase from 1 to 4; In the first phase, all health workers and support personnel on the front line, from the public and private systems, would be inoculated, later to the elderly and then to people aged 16 to 59 years with chronic diseases.

Vaccination Plan published by the Minsa on January 12, 2021