The Nicaraguan Ministry of Health (Minsa) is applying doses of the Sputnik Light and Pfizer vaccines to the population that expired in early 2022, they trust CONFIDENTIAL sanitary sources. The batches involved are 140721, which expired on January 1, and ACB3999, which expired on February 2, 2022.
CONFIDENTIAL corroborated the number of both batches expired on vaccination cards of Nicaraguans who received doses of these biologicals in recent weeks. Likewise, he has in his possession photographs of the bottles of these vaccines where the expiration date is verified.
The Sputnik Light and Pfizer vaccines are the ones that the Minsa is using to apply on the 2022 vaccination day, in which it is vaccinating the population again as if it were the first time after deciding – without evidence or scientific studies – that they apply each year anticovid vaccines.
The total number of vaccines that are expired is unknown, however, sources say “it’s a large batch.” According to a monitoring of the vaccines available in the country, the Minsa has received 3.6 million doses of Sputnik Light and 1.1 million from Pfizer donated by the United States (26.9%) and France (73%).
Vaccination with expired Pfizer extended
Until a few weeks ago, Pfizer vaccines were applied exclusively to pregnant, postpartum and lactating women, as well as to children over 12 years of age with risk diseases. However, from one day to the next, the Minsa increased the beneficiary population, although it did not announce it publicly.
“The order is that the Pfizer be applied whenever there is one in the Center,” Minsa brigade members explained to people who came in search of this vaccine, which is the most recognized internationally and has the approval of health agencies unlike of the Sputnik Light.
As reported by the Minsa, until May 5, 2022, they had applied 1,019,576 first doses of the 2022 vaccination schedule, which started last March. It is unknown how many doses per type of vaccine were administered, since they have eight types of biologicals.
Doctor Argüello: “It is a deception with criminal responsibility”
The medical epidemiologist, Leonel Argüello, explains to CONFIDENTIAL that it is incorrect to apply expired vaccines to the population and that in doing so the responsibility falls on the Minsa.
“Injecting an expired drug knowing that it is, is an attack on the patient, it is a deception with criminal responsibility, it is unethical and against morals, it causes false security and fuels distrust in the population,” says the doctor, who was national director of Immunizations, of Epidemiology and of Hygiene of the Minsa.
Likewise, it explains that “if there is a large batch of vaccines and their adequate storage has been guaranteed with the temperature required by the manufacturer, a sample can be taken for each batch and the corresponding laboratory tests can be carried out and if they come out well and are certified, it can be extended. expiration date and used as soon as possible.
Several countries, he adds, carried out tests on the AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna vaccines that were about to expire and extended the time to apply them for three months. However, “all of this is certified by the corresponding bodies or institutions and all the information is made publicly available”, clarifies the expert.
The doctor indicates that although it is not recommended to apply expired vaccines in the population, it is unlikely that they will cause damage. “Possibly it will not have any protective effect that the vaccine can give, and for the purpose of the following doses it is considered as not given,” he points out.
Countries in the region preferred to lose the vaccines than to apply them
In Central America, there are several countries that lost vaccines because they failed to apply them before they expired. In Guatemala, the Health Ombudsman Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman reported that more than 5.2 million vaccines expired, between Sputnik V, AstraZeneca and Moderna, this would be equivalent to a loss of more than 45 million dollars.
In Honduras, a batch of 203,480 AstraZeneca vaccines expired on May 1, 2022, according to the Honduran Social Security Institute (IHSS). The lost of these are equivalent to 821,355 dollars. The director of the IHSS said that these vaccines were expired due to lack of planning.
In April, the Panamanian Health authorities reported that more than 100,000 doses of Pfizer had expired and despite the fact that the United States Food and Drug Regulatory Agency (FDA) authorized the pharmaceutical company to extend for three months the expiration of your vaccine, Health Minister Ivette Berriossaid that “they would not risk, with this bad practice, the impeccable work they have done from the beginning,” describes the local media Radio Panama.
Currently, Nicaragua has 15.4 million vaccines against covid-19. Of these they would have applied 10.4 million doses. The breakdown of how many vaccines by type they have applied is unknown.
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