Panama says YES to covid-19 vaccinations

Long lines, rain and sun  and a bombardment   of misinformation failed to deter Panama citizens from receiving a record of  439,527 doses   of covid-19,vaccine applied in five days from July 21 to 25.

The day that more doses were applied was Saturday, July 24 – 101,944 -, according to the records of the Ministry of Health(Minsa).

Eduardo Ortega Barría, National Secretary of Science, Technology and Innovation (Senacyt), said that this week a similar number of doses is expected to be applied in eight circuits of Panama City and provinces.

The acceleration of vaccination was achieved with the arrival, last week, of 967, 582 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, and this week 450,000  more are expected.

Of the total doses of Pfizer the country received, 363,870 are part of those negotiated bilaterally with the pharmaceutical company; 100,612 came through the Covax mechanism and 503,100 were donated by the United States.

Christmas  normality 

Xavier Saéz-Llorens, pediatrician, infectologist and advisor to the Covid-19 Panama Vaccine  Consortium said that if the rate of vaccinations is maintained or increased, by October or November there would be a large proportion of vaccinated with two doses, which would give hope that the country will have a Christmas season close to pre-pandemic normality.