Starting next week, the Department of Health and support agencies could begin immunizing new groups of people, particularly if the use of the vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson is approved, the designated secretary of the agency, Carlos Mellado.
As soon as the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorizes the use of this vaccine, Puerto Rico must receive 28,000 doses that would be used to begin the new vaccination phase, Mellado confirmed in a conference of press. On Friday, a panel of U.S. health advisers backed Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine against covid-19.
The government continues to vaccinate adults over the age of 65, as well as teachers and first responders. The expectation is that from next week the new vaccine will be received and the third phase will open which could include people over 55, people with comorbid diseases and workers in the food industry and supermarkets.
It should be remembered that the sector of sale of unprepared food has never closed since the state of emergency was declared due to the pandemic, and prepared food places – which have experienced adjustments in the hours of operation and the way they provide services- were not included in the first stage of vaccination.
To enter the new phase the appointed secretary explained that he will have to amend the administrative order ordering vaccination with priority to those over 65 years of age.
Health informed the centers that they will be vaccinating in the coming days the people who made the appointment. The agency coordinates it with the Voices organization, the College of Engineers, and the Rotary Clubs. For example, today will be vaccinating people who have an appointment in the towns of San Sebastian, Arecibo, Manatí, Isabela, Mayagüez, Fajardo, San Juan and Bayamón, among others.
Unlike the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines – which require freezing at low temperatures and two doses for each person – the Johnson & Johnson vaccine does not require extreme cooling and is given in a single dose.
“A single dose allows us to make mass vaccinations. We can place these 28,000 vaccines in different centers and we are now defining the population we are going to vaccinate,” Mellado said. “We would move on to another phase with this vaccine and what we would have is maybe more time in the day so that more people can be vaccinated and get that access,” he pointed out.
He added that he continues the strategy of vaccinating those 65 and older with Pfizer and Moderna “and perhaps move to another phase with patients with comorbid diseases, such as sclerosis,” among others.
He said they have not told him whether after receiving this first shipment of 28,000 doses – once the vaccine is given the green light by the FDA – the Island will continue to receive the same amount of the drug weekly, as has happened with Pfizer and Modern.
A single dose
Dr. Iris Cardona, who heads the Department of Health’s Vaccination Program, explained that Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine uses a different technology from Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccines, and said it has proven to be particularly effective. by avoiding severity, hospitalization, and death by covid-19.
“The Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine gives the same instructions as the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine, but what it does is use an attenuated virus as a vector that has instructions to encode. It’s not going to cause infection. It’s an adenovirus. of the families of the viruses that cause phlegm, ”he explained. “Once the vaccine is given, the virus disappears, but instructions remain for the manufacture of a segment of the protein and the body reacts with an immune response producing antibodies that neutralize the virus. The science is very similar, but the technology is different, “he said.
This vaccine, he noted, is 72% effective in preventing moderate or severe disease in the symptoms of covid-19 and 80% effective in preventing severe disease or death. In the study, he added, no hospitalizations or deaths were reported.
Lilliam Rodriguez, founder of Voices, said that in the coalition “we are putting the resources to be able to help make vaccination as fast as possible.” And he stressed that “covid-19 has come to remind us of the importance of vaccination, the importance of keeping a contagious disease that paralyzes the whole world under control.”
They refer to the case
Mellado has reiterated that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be the ones to investigate the incident with the Walgreens pharmacy chain vaccines that appeared in Morovis.
“Walgreens Pharmacy has been our ally, but it is our responsibility to oversee the handling of the covid-19 vaccine that is intended for our people. The Department of Health did what it had to do. the investigation in 24 hours and we are referring it to the CDC because the pharmacy has a direct contract with the CDC and it refers so that they can investigate it, ”the official detailed during the press conference held yesterday.
He stated that, in his view, the management by the pharmacy was not adequate.
“Certainly the management has not been adequate and that is why the subdivision that accredits the health services facilities is going to investigate it. They (Walgreens) have a direct contract with the CDC and they will determine the management. From the point from a Health point of view, it is clear that there was mismanagement and that is why we are referring to it, “he said.
Lynnette Teissonniere, a spokeswoman for the Walgreens pharmacy chain, said she had not received the Health report or the report.
“We are not going to react because we do not have the referral or anything from the Department of Health. As soon as the information is received, we will be able to know,” he said.
In statements sent after the incident, Eileen Ortega, Walgreens’ director of operations, said that while Moderna’s vaccines were being mobilized at a long-term care center in Morovis, a “freezer” that was not properly insured fell from the vehicle. “.
“We are very grateful to the person who found the refrigerator and alerted the local police,” he noted then. “We will be investigating the matter and reviewing our procedures with the team so that this does not happen again,” he added.