if the Department of Health wants to start vaccinating the next phase, which would include people with chronic conditions, should end the current population of people aged 65 and over, said today, Saturday, the demographer Raúl Figueroa Rodríguez.
According to Figueroa Rodríguez, at the time of this publication, there are still around 400,000 people in this line unvaccinated.
More than 400,000 people over the age of 65+ are still unvaccinated for COVID-19 and are talking about moving on to the next stage.
– Raúl Figueroa (@rafigueroa) February 27, 2021
The demographer reacted in this way to the expressions issued yesterday by the designated Secretary of Health, Carlos Mellado López, Who sees that with the possible arrival of the vaccine Johnson & Johnson, It could start with the next phases of vaccination while Health continues with the current one.
The official even hinted that people from a younger population could be vaccinated in parallel to expedite the process.
“Now with this Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine, we can move to a younger population. We also need to pick up on first responders and start vaccinating AMA bus drivers as well,” he said yesterday. Mellado López during a press conference at the headquarters of the Department of Health, in San Juan.
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“There are still many older people who are finding it difficult to make appointments for vaccines“, Figueroa Rodríguez expressed in an interview with Puerto Rico Metro.
“I know a new vaccine is coming, but why not continue with the phase we are in and continue with them?” He continued.
One of the biggest differences over the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the use was approved yesterday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA, For the acronym in English), is that it can be stored at room temperature and only requires the administration of one dose per person.
Today, FDA management could determine whether to approve emergency use of this vaccine, which could mean Health distributes it as early as next week, Mellado Lopez said yesterday.
Despite this, the demographer understands that Health should explain in more depth whether the Johnson & Johnson vaccine would simplify vaccination logistics in Puerto Rico and what efforts it will be implementing to culminate with the current phase.
“It would be good for them to explain it. Maybe I don’t know if Johnson & Johnson’s are recommended for the elderly. The problem is that few vaccines are being given per week. Until that increases, it will take longer,” he said. “In the wake of the vaccination we are in, there are still several weeks to go before this stage ends. It would be inappropriate to start with another if many are still unvaccinated.”
According to data shared yesterday by the Department of Health, about 486,405 doses have been administered in Puerto Rico, and of these, 172,492 are people who have already received two doses.