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Image source, Getty Images
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The vaccine produced by the Chinese laboratory Sinovac was widely used this year in Latin America.
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Those vaccinated with Coronavac, from the Chinese laboratory Sinovac, must have a third dose if they are 60 years of age or older to be considered fully vaccinated, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
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The Sinovac vaccine has been widely used in Latin American countries.
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Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela have applied it, to a greater or lesser extent.
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“All those 60 and over who received Coronavac need to get a third dose to be considered fully vaccinated“said this Wednesday at a press conference the deputy director of PAHO, Jarbas Barbosa.
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This directive changes the scheme proposed by that regional body and by the World Health Organization (WHO), which until now had indicated that two doses of Coronavac constituted the complete inoculation scheme, although it recommended a third dose for risk groups such as older than 60 years and immunosuppressed, since a drop in antibodies has been shown over time.
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Countries such as Brazil, Colombia or Uruguay have already implemented the booster dose for at least the highest risk groups, although the response of the population to the third puncture has been lower than to the first two.
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In some countries the reinforcement of the third dose has been carried out with vaccines from other, more effective brands.
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Image source, Getty Images
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Jarbas Barbosa, deputy director of PAHO.
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“The last time I checked the data, (…) in Brazil probably 60% of this population had received the third dose. Therefore, there are many people who still need to receive the third dose to be fully vaccinateda“added Barbosa.
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Vaccinated with Sinopharm
Barbosa also referred to those vaccinated with the doses produced by the Chinese laboratory Sinopharm, an injectable that was applied in countries such as Argentina, Cuba, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru, among others.
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“All those over 60 years of age who received the vaccines produced by the Sinovac or Sinopharm laboratories need a third dose. Studies have clearly shown that after six months immunity begins to decrease significantly among the elderly “, he added, although he did not clarify whether for those vaccinated with Sinopharm it will be considered a complete scheme when the booster has been received.
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According to Barbosa, the WHO recommendation after listening to the independent vaccine group (SAGE) is that all immunocompromised people should receive a third dose of the vaccine with an interval of between one and three months between the second. and third dose.
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All those over 60 years of age who were inoculated with Sinopharm or Sinovac injectables “can receive a third dose of whatever dose is available with an interval of between three and six months from the second dose,” reported the PAHO deputy director.
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“We have some concerns about the situation because we can see that (some countries or regions) have vaccinated the whole world; so (there are people who say) ‘okay, the pandemic is over.’ No, this is not so,” said the official .
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