Madrid suspends vaccination of health workers due to lack of vaccines – telam

The doses had arrived in early January but they were already over.

Madrid’s health authorities warned on Thursday that the Community “had run out of vaccines” against the coronavirus, for which it was forced to suspend the vaccination of health workers. from the first line which started on January 9.

This was reported by Madrid’s Minister of Health Enrique Ruiz Escudero during an appearance before the Plenary of the Madrid Assembly, in which he accused the national health portfolio of “discrimination” in allowing the region to function “without vaccines for new vaccines.”.

“The ministry has used this week certain criteria for the redistribution of the doses which harm Madrid, once again”, complained Escudero, quoted by the public channel RTVE.

The adviser regretted that the ministry had acted in a “not very transparent” way and declared not to know what was the criterion used for the distribution, but, in any case, this generated “comparative grievances between autonomous communities”.

“The ministry this week used certain criteria for the redistribution of doses that harm Madrid, once again.”“

“There hasn’t been a week where there hasn’t been an incident. And, to be no exception, they have already confirmed that the next two weeks will not reach all of the confirmed doses,” a he added.

“What does this discrimination mean? Madrid is already running out of vaccines,” Escudero said.

“I am very sorry to have to say this, but Madrid do not have a dose to vaccinate more frontline health professionals,” admitted the adviser.

Regional government complaints

According to the regional government, Last Monday, in the fourth batch of Pfizer, the capital received only 24,375 doses, 50% less than that of the region corresponding to the 48,750 weekly promised by the Ministry of Health.

The current stock makes it possible to continue vaccinating in homes for the elderly and centers for disabled people and to give them the second dose.

To date, 68% of professionals in 35 hospitals in Madrid have received a first dose, along with 73% of emergency department staff and 44% of primary care staff.

Although the continuity to vaccinate this group, the second in priority after the elderly in retirement homes, will depend on the number of doses that will arrive in the following games.

In reality, This Thursday and Friday the vaccination was scheduled in 80 primary care centers but they had to suspend it precisely because of the reduction in doses sent by the central government, according to the Madrid Health Council.

Despite the drawbacks, Escudero called on healthcare professionals to remain calm since “every vaccine that arrives will be administered immediately”.

According to Escudero, to date the Community has applied 150,000 doses, “85% of the total received” (176,615 from the pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Moderna) and the second doses are reserved to ensure their inoculation after 21 days to those who have already received it.