‘Vaccine  failures’ a misnomer

A low percentage of people covered with the first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have acquired the disease, but the protection developed by the drugs has prevented hospitalizations and deaths, demonstrating the effectiveness of the vaccines reports TVN.

For doctors, calling these events “vaccine failures” is not correct because none of the drugs developed against the disease cover 100%, but they meet the objective that patients do not develop a serious condition, most are asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms, which is why they prefer to call it post-vaccination infection.

This infection in most cases occurs two weeks after the second dose, according to Dr. Eduardo  Ortega, a member of the COVID-19 Vaccine Research Consortium, said that only 0.3% of people vaccinated with Pfizer and AstraZeneca have contracted the virus shortly after acquiring the drug, however, none of these people have become seriously ill.

Despite progress in the inoculation program in Panama, with the arrival of the third wave, most of the positive cases are registered among young people, but adults in the age range of 60 to 79 years are the ones that contribute the most to the number of deaths so that age and chronic diseases continue to be a determining factor.

Ortega said on AM News, that in countries like Israel where the use of masks has returned, it is because 40% of its population does

highlighted the importance of vaccination to avoid developing a severe covid that leads to death.

“Without a doubt, those vaccinated are more protected. Two doses of AstraZeneca protect 92% and Pfizer 96% against hospitalization, ”he noted.

Dr. Julio Sandoval explained that hospitalized patients are between 20 and 50 years of age, with the common denominator that none are vaccinated.

“Vaccination is fulfilling its main objectives: avoiding deaths and hospitalization in vulnerable people over 60 years of age, chronic diseases and exposed personnel people who are becoming infected while vaccinated (10%) have a mild disease, do not get worse or die”, Sandoval explained.

Given the panorama of greater frequency of cases in unvaccinated young people, the message to the population is to get vaccinated, since it is the only way out of not contracting a serious case of covid-19.

Panama is preparing to receive one million doses of vaccines against COVID-19 for this month, while this amount is expected to increase during the following months with the aim of accelerating the vaccination process, covering as many people as possible with the expectation that herd immunity will be achieved by December.

Ortega said that vaccinated people who fall ill with COVID-19 are asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms. “The only way out of this pandemic is vaccination. With several million vaccines arriving in the country during the next 3 months, we must go from defense to offense and that is achieved by encouraging vaccination. Some give pizza, another beer; I propose more freedom for those vaccinated, ”said Ortega.