Government wants quarter of population vaccinated by winter
Speaking after meeting of new vaccination committee, Health Minister González García says mass roll-out could begin in the first half of January, depending on vaccine’s availability.
With the potential kick-off date for the government’s mass vaccination programme against Covid-19 still fluctuating between late this year and early next, this week saw the first meeting of the Alberto Fernández administration’s new vaccination committee against coronavirus.
Officials concentrated on planning the logistics demanded by the distribution and inoculation of the vaccines due in the next few months, with a view to having almost a quarter of the population – or some 10 million people – protected before next winter approaches.
The Government House meeting was headed by President Fernández, Cabinet Chief Santiago Cafiero and ministers Ginés González García (Health), Agustín Rossi (Defence), Eduardo “Wado” de Pedro (Interior) and Sabina Frederic (Security).
PRIORITY GROUPS
The government’s plan is simply to start vaccinating as soon as possible, thus heading off the complications of the second wave now hitting Europe. The government has sought to establish intense contact with various countries and international labs working on the development and manufacture of vaccines.
Priority for vaccination is given to health workers, those aged over 60, younger adults in risk groups, members of the security forces and teachers.
The Vaccination Committee estimated those aged over 60 alone at some 7.7 million among the “vulnerable” population (or 7,735,317 to be exact, according to the first Interior Ministry count).
Some 2.8 million younger persons in risk groups, 763,000 health workers and around half a million in the security forces bring the total close to 12 million, according to official sources, without the inclusion of over a million teachers (identified as a priority group at the specific request of President Fernández, according to González García).
The numbers double if, as many labs are already anticipating, a double dose is needed. The security forces will be required for the nationwide logistics, hence Frederic’s presence on the Vaccination Committee. The government is already making a census of those aged over 60 via the National Registry of Persons.
VACCINE OPTIONS
Four international labs currently head the race to halt the coronavirus pandemic out of a total of 11 vaccines in the final phase of clinical testing: Moderna, Pfizer-biontech, Russia’s Gamaleya Institute (Sputnik V) and Oxford-astrazeneca (working in collaboration with the mabxience lab in Argentina).
All four have claimed to be over 90 percent effective while differing in certain fundamental aspects such as the temperature required for storage.
Earlier this month President Fernández confirmed that Argentina would be purchasing 25 million doses of Sputnik V if it is found to be effective and safe. The presidential image has picked up slightly in recent days, the result of the vaccine announcements according to some analysts.
“Heeding the instructions of President Alberto Fernández, we are working closely with the provinces, municipalities and all political parties because this is a public health problem which involves us all,” said “Wado” de Pedro after Tuesday’s meeting, adding that his Interior Ministry had placed its system of electoral logistics at the disposal of his health colleague to co-ordinate potential vaccination centres with provincial health ministries within the Federal Health Council.
“The national state will be buying all the vaccines while all the provinces will be financially assisted for the purchase of inputs and equipment,” the government sources detailed.
POTENTIAL DATE
Health Minister González García ventured at a press conference that vaccination would begin in the first half of January while adding that the date was “absolutely subordinated” to having the vaccine available with none approved yet.
“The more people vaccinated, the less the contagion and the pandemic. The president has said that he wants to make an epic out of this.
“We want to vaccinate as many people as possible as soon as possible. We are integrating all government actions into one synergy.
“The vaccine does not replace civic conduct, we need to keep looking after ourselves. I feel a huge relief and hope with the vaccine, like everybody else, but I also feel that sometimes this makes some people relax, believing that everything is resolved and it’s not,” the minister underlined.