More than 27 million people missed second dose in Argentina

40.3% of the Argentine population has already completed the COVID-19 vaccination program with both doses. While another 63.3% of the population received the first dose. But against the backdrop of the more persistent circulating threat from the Delta variant of the coronavirus, More than 16.6 million people have yet to be immunized against the coronavirus, who have yet to receive any doses. 27.1 million more are waiting for the second dose with which greater protection against COVID-19 infection and the risk of complications and death is obtained.

There is currently 12.9 million doses received but not yet applied, according to open data from the Nation’s Ministry of Health. In this total there are 2,495,418 doses of the second component of the Sputnik V vaccine. There are also 7,787,217 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine to be applied, 319,702 doses of the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine, 1,010,990 from Moderna, 398,919 doses of CanSino and 100,620 doses of Pfizer / BioNTech.

Yesterday, the Health portfolio announced that it will distribute until tomorrow Wednesday a total of 1,417,165 doses in the 24 jurisdictions of the country. During the last two weeks of August, the plan had been ramped up, reapplying 2.5 million doses per week. But last week fewer doses were applied. The application of 1,886,568 inoculants has been recorded to complement the programs during the past week. There were only 255,727 first doses, according to the analysis of data made by physicist Jorge Aliaga, National University of Hurlingham.

As he told Infobae to the Undersecretary for Health Strategies of the Ministry of Health of the Nation, Juan Manuel Castelli, “Differences in the application of weekly doses may be due to different causes in each jurisdiction. Keep in mind that a number of doses are saved in the system a few days later due to asynchronous loading. It could therefore have reached 2.3 million doses as it had been applied in previous weeks, but it is not yet impacted in the system. The actual number of days vaccines were available may also have had an influence. But we consider that this week it is probable that the rate of applications will be maintained with the average of the last weeks of August which was higher than 2.3 million doses ”.

In the province of Buenos Aires, 63.2% of the total population already has at least one dose against COVID-19. 38.6% have the full diet. The principal advisor of the Ministry of Health of the province of Buenos Aires, the sanitarista and epidemiologist Enio García told Infobae: “Last week, the average number of candidates fell a bit because there were vaccination sites that had to prepare for the STEP primary elections. Also many people who got around to the second dose and didn’t show up last week. We analyze the situation of absenteeism. Likewise, people who did not go for the second dose can go and apply it this week or the next. The dose is there ”.

In the distribution that the Nation’s Ministry of Health will make from yesterday to tomorrow, 399,680 single-dose regimens of CanSino are included, which will be aimed at hard-to-reach populations such as the homeless, migrants, refugees and other groups. 760,625 inoculations of component 2 of Sputnik V will also be distributed jointly, which will make it possible to complete the vaccination schedule, and 156,240 from Moderna to advance with the vaccination of 17 year old adolescents.

It will be the same with the first 100,620 doses of vaccine from the Pfizer laboratory, which arrived in the country last Wednesday, which correspond to the contract signed by the national government to receive 20 million vaccines this year. These inoculants will be intended for adolescents, according to the ministry.

In Argentina, the COVID-19 vaccination plan began at the end of last December and initially focused on priority groups, such as people over 60 and adults with risk factors. Teaching staff, health workers, and Armed and Security Forces personnel were also given priority. Currently, 93% of the initial target population already have at least one dose. 64% of the population prioritized in the December plan has both doses.

Since last May, vaccination has started in adults without diagnosed comorbidity. Advancement in vaccination coupled with the use of chinstrap and other preventive care, such as distancing and ventilating confined spaces, has helped reduce confirmed cases of COVID-19 and deaths during the second wave of the pandemic in Argentina.

The cases of patients with the coronavirus had increased again last March, however, Argentina is currently in the 16th consecutive week of reduction of cases if you take into account the epidemiological situation since June. Currently, the average number of COVID-19 cases in the country is less than 3,000. This has happened for the first time since July 5, 2020.

At the start of the plan, the Sputnik V vaccines, from the Gamaleya Institute of Russia, the vaccine from the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca (with its Covishield version produced in India), and the Sinopharm vaccine from China, which was acquired by the Nation’s Ministry of Health. Recently, the Moderna vaccine was added, thanks to a donation from the United States government, which began to be applied to adolescents with risk factors. A few days ago, the first batch of vaccines developed by the Pfizer / BioNTech companies in the United States and Germany, and by CanSino, from China, was received.

In July, the possibility of combining with different vaccines was opened, after the completion of clinical trials that have demonstrated efficacy and safety.. In this way, many elderly people who received Sputnik V accepted the application of Moderna’s vaccine. There were also combinations with the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine in some jurisdictions.

Regarding the application of second doses, there are significant differences between the 24 jurisdictions of Argentina. The province of La Pampa has already vaccinated 54.9% of its population with 2 doses. Next come the city of Buenos Aires (54.1%) and San Luis (51.1%). On the other hand, the most lagging behind remain the provinces of Misiones (27.3%), Salta (30.3%) and Chaco (30.4%).

Since yesterday, to reverse the situation in the delay and against the background of the threat of persistent circulation of the Delta variant of the coronavirus, the Misiones public health ministry started immunizing with home visits so people either end the immunization schedule with the second dose or receive the first dose. He indicated that in door-to-door operations, Sinopharm, Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccines will be administered as a second dose or that the first dose of Sputnik V will be interchangeable with that of Oxford / AstraZeneca.

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