The COVID-19 vaccination process in Puerto Rico is affected by gaps

As of Tuesday, January 5, the administration of the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine will begin in Puerto Rico for health care workers who received the dose of Pfizer in the week beginning December 14.

And in the face of the tumult of people who, in recent days, have conglomerated on the grounds of the Coliseito Pedrín Zorrilla in San Juan – lining up the night before – many fear that the same experience will be repeated when the time comes to apply second dose.

Two weeks after the arrival of this vaccine in Puerto Rico, there are still gaps that need to be addressed in this process. The health department ensures that its responsibility is limited to requesting, receiving and distributing the product and that each unit that administers it will ensure its application.

Next week, the second phase of vaccination will begin for professionals working in hospitals, and those who have been vaccinated in the regional center of San Juan would do so in mid-January.

“Each unit does its logistics,” Undersecretary of Health Iris Cardona said yesterday.

The National Guard, tasked with setting up and operating regional vaccination centers, has not even managed to coordinate an appointment system for administering the vaccine, as it had promised a few days ago to avoid the long lines that formed in colitis. Pedrín Zorrilla.

“Not yet (will be on schedule),” said Luis Orengo, of the National Guard’s Public Affairs Bureau, who assured that a system of prior appointments is coordinated with the College of Surgeons.

Today, Wednesday, the second regional vaccination center of the National Guard opens its doors in the Centro de Bellas Artes de Caguas and will serve health professionals in that region who meet there in order of arrival, as in Pedrín Zorrilla, between 8:00 and 17:00

The goal of the National Guard is to open a total of 11 vaccination centers by mid-January. The next will be in Ponce, Arecibo, Mayagüez, Humacao, Fajardo, Aguadilla, Bayamón, Barranquitas and Guayama. According to the military, as of yesterday, about 4,400 health professionals had been vaccinated in the regional center of San Juan.

Cardona commented that the conglomerate of health workers who have made long queues at Pedrín Zorrilla in their desire to be vaccinated must decrease with the availability of the vaccine in several places. The Undersecretary of Health said that starting this week, the vaccines will be available in several health facilities, such as hospitals, primary health centers, diagnostic and treatment centers and primary care groups.

“The problem was rather one of access,” said Cardona, who also lamented that in the early days of the Pedrín Zorrilla center opening, many had requested vaccination, when it was not their turn at this stage of the process. This phase is exclusively for health workers.

Cardona also recalled that about 100,000 vaccines were initially expected to arrive and 30,000 were received.

Phase 1-A also covers residents and employees of long-term care homes and intellectual disability centers, who are expected to start vaccination starting next week.

According to Cardona, more than 35,000 people have already been vaccinated against COVID-19 on the island. Yesterday, he said, 11 adverse events were reported, four of which required medical attention, although none were serious.

“Guaranteed” dose

Regarding the second dose, the official commented that it is “guaranteed” for all those who have already received the first. These people, he said, must go to the same place where they were vaccinated. The second dose of those who received the Pfizer vaccine starts on January 5, while the second in Moderna is on January 19.

“Although (the second dose) should be given starting with 21 days (Pfizer days) and 28 days (Moderna), there is a grace period of a few days before or after, although the recommendation is that the person do it as soon as possible. possible (until the appointed date) “, he said.

The official acknowledged that the process is taking place in a more orderly manner due to previous appointments and changes, such as in hospitals.

“I think we are beginning to understand the process. I didn’t think everyone would come to get vaccinated, “he said.

Phase 1-A is expected to last four to six weeks and Phase 1-B, for non-congregated seniors and certain frontline workers, from 8 to 10 weeks.

“The logistics were not the best. There was technology to do it in an orderly way, to go (get vaccinated) with a number now, “said Dr. Jorge Santana.

The infectologist, who was vaccinated in a structured process for the employees of the Medical Center, regretted that health professionals and workers in this industry had to stand in long queues outside Pedrín Zorrilla, who is looking to be vaccinated.

Although he commented that he hoped that with the opening of other vaccination centers the process would be more agile, he stressed that there was still much to be vaccinated to achieve the desired coverage of 70%. This equates to 1,890,000 people, given that the vaccine is authorized for people 16 years of age or older.

The president of the College of Surgeons, Víctor Ramos, agreed with Cardona that the process should be easier and with more vaccination sites. The college, he said, will vaccinate doctors, nurses, pharmacists, medical technologists, paramedics and respiratory therapists today, Wednesday, at the Mario Quijote Morales Colosseum in Guaynabo. He will also vaccinate health professionals and office staff in Cabo Rojo and Barceloneta on Saturday, while he will do so on Sunday in Aibonito and Patillas.

As there are more vaccinations, there will be fewer “problems”, he concluded, commenting that he is working, together with the National Guard, on a platform for appointments at regional vaccination centers.