A batch of 40,000 vaccines from the Pfizer-BioNTech company will arrive in Panama the week of January 18, the Ministry of Foreign Relations reported on the night of Monday, January 4.
The Foreign Minister,
Erika Mouynes, revealed that the
vaccine will arrive between January 18 and 25.
According to the chancellor, the pharmaceutical company will reveal the exact date of the arrival of the first batch to the country five days before.
Mouynes indicated that five Panamanians, based in the United States and Panama, participated in the negotiation with the company.
She added that Panama has guaranteed a sufficient supply of
vaccines so that all Panamanians are immunized.
Mouynes stressed that the process will be voluntary and will also take into account risk groups.
She emphasized that 5.5 million doses will be received in the country, for almost 3 million Panamanians.
For her part, the Deputy Minister of Health, Ivette Berrío, showed the cameras the receipt of the payment that Panama made for the acquisition of the doses.
Berrío insisted that the payment was made on time and as it had been completed with the company.
Panama's immunization program has established four initial phases for applying the
Pfizer vaccine.
It was reported that in the first phase, the pharmaceutical company promised to provide 450,000 doses in 90 days, which will guarantee the vaccination of 225,000 people.
Initially, adults over 60 years of age, who are bedridden, residing in a nursing home or homes, will be vaccinated.
Officials in the health sector will also be vaccinated, prioritizing those who directly care for patients with
Covid-19.
In addition, the cleaning service staff, the disabled over 16 years of age, will be vaccinated.
Then there will be an opening to the rest of the elderly, to patients with chronic diseases, which will guarantee a reduction in morbidity in the country.
The
vaccine from the aforementioned company must be applied in two doses, separated by a space of 21 days. It is also important to emphasize that immunity is not acquired from the first application.
It will take more than two weeks after the second application to acquire the antibodies that are required.
Therefore, you should continue with the measures of the use of a mask, in public transport use additional masks, physical distancing and constant hand washing.
This
vaccine must be kept in special refrigerators, at a temperature of colder than -70 degrees Celcius (-94 Fahrenheit).