The Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance detailed this Friday, November 12, that it already has a plan for the application of a third booster dose of the coronavirus vaccine for people at high risk, older adults and front-line health personnel .
As part of this plan, it is established that those who have completed the vaccination scheme -two doses- with Sputnik V will receive a third dose of AstraZeneca, since both drugs are compatible, but that would be the only combination that would be made in the country, as detailed The authorities.
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Diana Sierra, in charge of the National Immunization Program of the Ministry of Health, said that according to what the World Health Organization (WHO) establishes, the booster schedules must be completed with the same vaccine that was started; However, in the case of Sputnik V in Guatemala, an exception will be made, since both biologics have the same platform, adenovirus.
“We have already completed the guidelines for third doses in some cases and in others that will be reinforcements. Vulnerable groups are being prioritized. We include all first-line health personnel, whether public or private, also all people with comorbidity and older adults from 60 years of age, these three groups are those with which the third dose or dose will be started. reinforcements, ”said Sierra, who did not advance dates for that process.
“Specifically we are doing homologous schemes and what the WHO recommends is to place a third dose or a booster with the same vaccine with which one started his scheme; for example, if I started with AstraZeneca, my third dose will be with AstraZeneca, the same platform we started with is used and the only change would be Sputnik because their platform is adenovirus, then they would have AstraZeneca ”, he added.
Vaccination
Vaccination for minors seems to have entered a stage of controversy, since the Ministry of Health approved the use of the Moderna vaccine in minors between 12 and 17 years of age, although in the United States the regulator decided to suspend it.
In the country’s vaccination centers for this weekend it was announced that second doses of Moderna will be applied for adults, as well as first doses in adolescents between 12 and 17 years old.
The Ministry of Health reported that, according to the technical guidelines for vaccination against covid-19, it has been recommended that the Moderna vaccine can be applied to people in that age range, with and without risk factors, since it has authorization to emergency use of the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
According to Sierra, the only way in which the use of this vaccine is not recommended is when in the first dose severe reactions are experienced.
Also read: Covid-19 can cause diabetes and damage to the pancreas, expert alert
Existence of vaccines
According to the National Immunization Program of the Ministry of Health, this is the existence of vaccines in Guatemala until this Friday, November 12. Some doses are about to expire.
- 63 thousand AstraZeneca doses expiring in December and 740 in 17 days
- 10 thousand Moderna expiring in December
- In February 2022 1 million 269 thousand 620 first doses of Sputnik V expire. In March 100 thousand expire
- In March 2022 1 million 011 thousand 576 second doses of Sputnik V expire
- Pfizer zero warehouse stock
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