The Russian Direct Investment Fund sent only 12,000 doses of the second component of the Sputnik V vaccine to our country. From February 18 to July 12, Paraguay received six large batches of biologicals, but only the first two had the first and second components.
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July 25, 2021 – 6:11 PM
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Some 404,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine have arrived in our country to date. The first batch of the Russian vaccine arrived on February 18 with 4,000 doses (2,000 of the first component and another 2,000 of the second component). A second shipment arrived on April 9 with 20,000 doses (10,000 of each component) to complete immunization of target staff members and subsequently advance the immunization plan with adults 85 years of age and older.
On May 14, a third batch of 40,000 doses of Russian vaccines arrived and, 25 days later, another shipment arrived with the same number of doses. All from the first component. On June 29, the largest batch shipped to date arrived, 200,000 doses in the same flight but, like the two previous batches, also only the first component.
In the second week of July, our country received a sixth batch of 100,000 Russian vaccines. Again, without the presence of the second component of this biological.
Only on those first two dates, February 18 and April 9, Paraguay received the second components of this adenoviral vector vaccine. So, so far, only 12,000 people who were vaccinated with Sputnik V have managed to finish their vaccination schedule.
The 380,000 people who were vaccinated with the batches that arrived from May 14 onwards are still waiting for the application of their second doses to acquire the maximum level of immunity and, considering that the interval is 90 days, they have little more than two weeks until the time set by the Ministry of Health expires.
February 18 – 4,000 doses (2,000 of the first component and 2,000 of the second component)
April 9 – 20,000 doses (10,000 of the first component and 10,000 of the second component)
May 14 – 40,000 doses (first component only)
June 8 – 40,000 doses (first component only)
June 29 – 200,000 doses (first component only)
July 12 – 100,000 doses (first component only)
STILL REMAIN 596,000 DOSES OF THE SPUTNIK V VACCINE TO RECEIVE
Taking into account that Paraguay signed a contract with the Russian Direct Investment Fund for one million doses last January and that to date 404,000 have arrived, our country must still receive 596,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine. 488,000 of them must be of the second component and another 198,000 of the first component.
Unfortunately, the signed agreement does not have a shipment supply itinerary, so there is no maximum date or time limit for Paraguay to demand the total arrival of biologicals. However, in June, the Russian ambassador, Alexánder Písarev, indicated in an interview with Paraguay TV that the signed contract establishes the delivery of all the missing doses by the end of July, a date that is met in just one more week. .
ANALYZE RE-APPLYING A VACCINE TO THOSE WHO RECEIVED SPUTNIK V
Although Dr. Lida Sosa, Deputy Minister of Health, stated that the health portfolio is exhausting all resources to guarantee the second dose of the 380,000 adults who received Sputnik V since May 19, she indicated that it is being analyzed to reapply a new immunization scheme for all these people with a different vaccine but from the same platform in case the vaccines are not sent on time by the Russian Direct Investment Fund.
According to the representative of the Ministry of Health, until August 18 there is time to receive this batch with the second component of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine and thus complete the vaccination cycle of those who received the biological in the third week of May. “We continue to insist and we have information that we would be receiving component 2. In case this does not happen, the technicians of the Expanded Program on Immunizations (EPI) and their experts are evaluating the best available evidence to see what the next option would be, either the interchangeability with another vaccine from the same platform or even see another scheme. The other safe and cost-effective option is being analyzed as well ”, he indicated.
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