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Thursday, April 29, 2010
Paraguay will be the last to receive influenza vaccines
The other countries in the region already have the doses donated by the OPS or acquired directly. The immunological will arrive between now and Saturday. Volcano Eruption in Iceland caused the delay.
Paraguay will be the last country in the region to receive vaccinations against influenza A H1N1 donated by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
According to a recent PAHO report on the progress of vaccination against pandemic influenza (H1N1) in Latin America and the Caribbean, available on its website-10 countries to whom the organization donates these vaccines, including Paraguay.
The report notes that the dates of arrival of the immune to the other countries (Bolivia, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua and Suriname) range between 3 March and 15 April. In the case of Haiti, shipping is still awaiting the decision of this nation to not accept the donation.
As for Paraguay, the day is listed as probable for the arrival of the 600,000 doses donated by PAHO is Saturday May 1.
The report explains, however, that the delay in our country is due to the eruption of the volcano in Iceland, which caused disruption to air navigation.
ANNOUNCEMENTS. The Ministry of Public Health (MSP) of our country had initially announced that the first batch of vaccine would arrive in March, when it then was repeatedly postponed until now.
Yesterday, Dr. Ivan Allende, president of Health Watch, said the immunological arrive today. However, the health minister, Esperanza Martinez announced that doses will arrive on Saturday 1 May.
VACCINATION. Anyway, the MSP plan is to start on Monday 3 May, the campaign of vaccination against influenza A H1N1, targeting groups at risk of complications.
According to the updated report of PAHO, 23 countries in the region have already begun the vaccination. Among them, the neighbors Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Uruguay and Peru, who are in full immunization campaign to risk groups.
According to PAHO, three countries in the region: Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, have purchased approximately 140 million doses of vaccines through direct purchases of laboratories.
The Ministry of Health of Paraguay, in addition to the 600,000 doses donated by PAHO, 600,000 doses purchased through the Revolving Fund for Vaccines of the same organization, which still have no date of arrival.
Nor have the 500 000 doses that the country will receive a donation from European countries, as announced.
For its part, the private sector also expects to initiate the immune vaccination. These were purchased directly from the producing laboratories and assess their arrival to the first days of May.
Figures
1.7 million
doses of vaccines against influenza A H1N1 is scheduled to receive the MOH.
600 000
are donated by PAHO and 500 000 by European countries. The others were purchased.
"VACCINATION delays do not affect"
The delay in the receipt of pandemic influenza vaccines will not affect the immunization schedule, said the health minister, Esperanza Martinez.
Secretary of State said the vaccine will begin on May 3 as scheduled. "We wanted to start before the logistics of distribution, but will probably start with the departments closer while you get to the other," he explained.
The Social Welfare Institute will also begin on that date immunization through the various departments of the institution.