Problems with the vaccination rate in Argentina: five keys to understanding the vaccination process

The Argentine state signed contracts to receive 56 million vaccines –Have spent half of the budget– to vaccinate Argentines against COVID-19 and so far only just over 4.5 million have arrived be distributed as established by the National Constitution – in an equitable manner – to 24 jurisdictions across the country.

This rudeness manifested by the numbers – while waiting for the promised doses arrive – highlights the cracks that the vaccination process in Argentina presents today and which forces health authorities to face the two main problems: manage the time of shortage of arrival of vaccines, a situation that also recurs in the world and, as if it were not about complementary processes, the need to revitalize the slowed down rhythm of inoculations until today, as the inexorable wait for the second wave of infections grows.

Mexico and Argentina they have the vaccine AstraZeneca and Oxford What your main bet to face the pandemic. But the development promoted in the region Grupo Insud and the Slim Foundation it had problems in its production, which is delaying its application in Latin America. The AstraZeneca laboratory, from which Argentina bought 22.4 million vaccines against the coronavirus of which 0 arrived, you do everything possible to try to meet the promised delivery times.

The vaccine Oxford for Latin America (except Brazil) is made in Argentina, in the laboratory MabXience of the Insud Group. As he could know Infobae, in this Garín factory “The lots are produced normally” and they were already shipped 25 million vaccines.

The COVID-19 vaccination plan started with everything in Argentina on December 29 at the Posadas hospital. First, vaccines began to be applied to health workers as a priority group. But today the plan schedule has been delayed, and increases anxiety in which people, especially those at higher risk of complications, wonder when it is time to access the vaccinea, and as fall arrives, infections will increase and there are fears of new variants of the coronavirus. Here they go some keys to understand where the plan is going.

1- When will priority groups be vaccinated in Argentina?

The date will depend on future shipments from foreign laboratories, according to the Nation’s Ministry of Health. The vaccination plan with the participation of the National Vaccination Commission defined that there were groups to prioritize. On the one hand, the personnel considered to be strategic for the functioning of the country, like him health personnel, armed forces, security and prison service personnel and teaching staff. On the other hand, they have been prioritized adults 70 and over, seniors living in long-term homes, adults 60-69 and adults 18-59 with risk factors. The plan is done in a phased and progressive manner with each group.

But The end of this first stage of vaccination, which aims to reduce mortality due to COVID-19, does not yet have a precise date because it will depend on shipments from laboratories that have already committed to delivering doses. In addition, the Minister of Health of the Nation, Carla Vizzotti, informed that negotiations are also underway with other companies to buy more doses.

“Promising dates for the end of the vaccination would not be correct today because it depends on the sending of a part of the foreign laboratories, and not of the Ministry of Health of the Nation. There is a logistical process between the arrival of the doses at Argentinian customs, the control of the National Institute of Medicine and the shipment to each jurisdiction. In each province, a plan is drawn up. It would be inadvisable to specify the dates because the exact delivery dates are not known “, said Infobae Maximiliano Nitto, lawyer specializing in human rights and health, is the representative of the Office of the Ombudsman of the Nation within the National Vaccination Commission, which is an independent body of the Ministry of Health of the Nation . In the Defensoría, they receive requests from people about vaccination.

2- Why can’t the vaccine be chosen for each person?

“In the pandemic phase, there is a public health emergency, and each person in priority groups should use the vaccine that arrives. These are all good and effective vaccines, ”said Dr Angela Gentile of the Argentine Pediatric Society. “The vaccines have been approved for emergency use because phase 3 of the clinical trials is not yet complete. But we know that authorized vaccines prevent the risk of death, ”he added.

“The doses of vaccines that have arrived in Argentina from Russia, India and China are all safe. They are administered according to the availability of doses entering the country. The vaccine from Russia and the one that came from India, which is also the one from the AstraZeneca laboratory, can be used both in the elderly group and in adults between 18 and 60 years old. The only difference is that the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine is still being studied for those over 60 years old. Therefore, it cannot yet be applied in this population. The country’s vaccination strategy is being adjusted according to the priority group. For this reason, the Sinopharm is used by healthcare personnel and by security and armed forces personnel under the age of 60.

3- Why are there regions in Argentina where teachers under 60 have already been vaccinated but in others people over 80 have not?

Since last May, The Ministry of Health of the Nation has started to discuss with the 24 jurisdictions the preparation of the strategic plan of vaccination in a progressive manner. It was agreed to apply as many doses as possible in a timely manner. But according to the head of the health portfolio, each province can establish its own plan following the federal configuration of the national constitution. This would make the vaccination times priority groups depending on where you live.

“Argentina has a nominal vaccine registry that allows monitoring of application. In addition, weeks ago, the public follow-up was presented which makes it possible to follow the stage of vaccination. But the differences between who gets vaccinated first in the provinces exist because each jurisdiction has its own autonomy. The country has a federal organization. Therefore, although the nation’s health ministry has its role of government, each province organizes the distribution and application of doses. Some authorities learn as they go. The possibility of knowing the waiting order for people who have signed up to receive the doses could be assessed, ”Nitto’s lawyer said.

4 – What happened to people who doubted the vaccination?

“We receive requests from citizens who have doubts, ”said Nitto, who considered that the pandemic should also be seen as an opportunity. “In December, many were wary of Covid-19 vaccines. Now, many more are calling for them. As a result, confidence has increased ”. In addition, he noted during the pandemic, more people became interested in clinical trials, vaccines, treatments and were vigilant about the risks. For Nitto, “Health citizenship” has developed, and it is a gradual change to make people more aware of the right to health and the benefits and risks of clinical research.

5- Are there few vaccine doses left?

According to Nitto, you are not dealing with a critical situation. “The national state has signed an agreement with various vaccine producers, but they are unable to comply with it according to the initial schedule. There is a global problem with delays around the world in vaccine production. I think we have to take into account the fact that the State is opening the game to negotiations with other companies to buy more doses of vaccines ”.

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