The Department of Health revealed today, Wednesday, that it expected to receive several vaccines against COVID-19 manufactured by Pfizer.
However, according to the agency’s owner, Lorenzo González FelicianoThis will not affect the logic and the distribution of doses is expected to continue in January.
“More vaccines were to be expected. I think this has happened in all jurisdictions. More was expected from Pfizer in the first shot and it did not happen,” the official said at a news conference aimed at updating information on treating the pandemic.
“The process will depend on the availability of vaccines that exist for the country,” the owner added.
Specifically, González Feliciano explained that between yesterday and today they expected to receive 27,000 vaccines manufactured by Pfizer and 21,000 doses of Moderna.
In fact, the National Guard was preparing to open a vaccination center this morning in the Pedrín Zorrilla Colosseum, but given the large number of medical staff who came to the venue, the event had to close its doors to ensure that everyone present received the vaccine.
However, according to the Undersecretary of Health, Iris Cardona, this decrease in dose intake will not affect the vaccine distribution process.
“There’s basically no production problem. It’s a matter of how quickly permission to release batches of vaccine can be given to Pfizer,” Cardona said.
“A procedure that none of the states or local governments control. What we have been guaranteed … is that, although that large volume of vaccines does not come in a single delivery, we will receive consistently over the next four to six weeks. finite amount, but there are not a few numbers either, “he continued.
Thus, the local government expects approximately 21,400 doses of Pfizer and 21,000 of Moderna weekly over the next month, although 11,000 of the latter will be intended for employees and residents of nursing homes.
Despite the possible delay, the health secretary believes it will not be a long-term problem, as it is expected that by the end of February, about five different companies will distribute their versions of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Currently, only Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been approved, but the doses that Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca manufacture may be available until then.
“It’s good for the population. As we have three additional companies that can generate a vaccine, we’ll see something that could change the phase a little bit,” the secretary said.
The new strain must not withstand vaccination
Confronted with reports of a new strain of COVID-19 known to be from the United Kingdom, González Feliciano said there was currently no information to indicate that he should resist the vaccine.
However, he warned that people should remain vigilant, given that this variant has a higher level of transmission.
“We see an almost absolute response from the world to travel from England to other parts of the world,” he said.
“England has also chosen not to generate travel outside its jurisdiction,” he added.
Very few reactions to the vaccine
There are still some suspicions about the vaccination process among citizens, but of the thousands of vaccines that have already been administered in Puerto Rico, only eight people have experienced an adverse reaction.
According to Cardona, none of these caused complications in the person’s health and only represented symptoms related to fever and muscle pain.
“We have reports of peaks in the body, dizziness and nausea, numbness in an area of the mouth. All of these have been described in clinical trials,” he said.