Starting next week, the Department of Health and support entities could begin immunizing new groups of people, especially if use of the vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson is approved, the agency’s designated secretary Carlos Jagged announced.
Once the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves the use of this vaccine, Puerto Rico should receive 28,000 doses that would be used to begin the new vaccination phase, Mellado confirmed at a news conference. On Friday, a panel of US health advisers approved Johnson & Johnson’s single-use COVID-19 vaccine.
The government continues to vaccinate adults over 65, as well as teachers and first responders. It is expected that starting next week, the new vaccine will be received and the third phase will open, which could include people over 55, people with comorbid diseases, and workers in the food industry and supermarkets.
It should be remembered that the sector for the sale of raw food has never been closed since a state of emergency was declared due to the pandemic, and places for prepared food – which have undergone adjustments in opening hours and the way they provide services in the first phase of vaccination.
To enter the new phase, the designated secretary explained that he will have to amend the administrative decision that prescribes priority vaccination for people over 65.
Health informed the centers that they will vaccinate the people who have made appointments in the coming days. The agency coordinates with the Voces organization, the College of Engineers and the Rotary Clubs. For example, today they vaccinate people who have an appointment in the cities of San Sebastián, Arecibo, Manatí, Isabela, Mayagüez, Fajardo, San Juan and Bayamón.
Unlike the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines – which must be frozen at low temperatures and two doses for each person – the Johnson & Johnson vaccine does not require extreme refrigeration and is given in a single dose.
“We can vaccinate en masse with a single dose. We can locate these 28,000 vaccines in different centers and we are now defining the population we will be vaccinating, ”said Mellado. “We would go to another stage with this vaccine and what we would have is maybe more time in the day so that more people can be vaccinated and have that access,” he said.
He added that he is continuing the strategy of vaccinating people 65 and older with Pfizer and Moderna “and perhaps moving to a different phase, including patients with comorbid diseases, such as sclerosis.”
He confirmed that they have not indicated whether after receiving this first shipment of 28,000 doses – once the vaccine gets the green light from the FDA – the island will continue to receive the same amount of the drug weekly, as has happened with Pfizer and Moderna.
Single dose
Dr. Iris Cardona, who heads the Department of Health’s vaccination program, explained that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine uses a different technology than the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, and assured that it has been shown to be effective, particularly in avoiding of severity, hospitalization and death from Covid-19.
“The Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine gives the same instructions as the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, but it uses an attenuated virus as a vector that has instructions to code. It does not cause infection. It is an adenovirus from the families of viruses that cause colds, ”he explained. “Once the vaccine is administered, the virus disappears, but instructions remain for making some of the protein and the body reacts with an immune response that produces antibodies that neutralize the virus. Science is very similar, but technology is different, ”he said.
This vaccine, he said, is 72% effective in preventing moderate or severe disease in the symptoms of covid-19 and 80% in preventing serious illness or death. In the study, he added, no hospitalizations or deaths were reported.
Lilliam Rodríguez, founder of Voces, said that in the coalition we are “deploying the resources to make the vaccination go as quickly as possible”. And he stressed that “the Covid-19 has come to remind us of the importance of vaccination, the importance of controlling an infectious disease that is paralyzing the entire world.”
They refer the case
Mellado reiterated that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC in English) will be the ones to investigate the incident involving the Walgreens pharmacy chain vaccines that appeared in Morovis.
“The Walgreens pharmacy has been our ally, but it is our responsibility to take care of the administration of the covid-19 vaccine intended for our people. The health department did what it was supposed to do. The investigation was conducted within 24 hours and we are referring it to the CDC because the pharmacy has a direct contract with the CDC and is referring it so they can investigate it, ”the official explained at yesterday’s press conference.
He indicates that in his opinion the handling by the pharmacy is insufficient.
“Certainly management has not been adequate and so the sub-division that accredits the health services is going to investigate. They (Walgreens) have a direct contract with the CDC and they determine the handling. From a health point of view, it is clear that there was maladministration and so we refer to it, ”he said.
Lynnette Teissonniere, spokeswoman for pharmacy chain Walgreens, for her part, stated that they did not receive the health report or referral.
“We’re not going to respond because we don’t have a referral or anything from the health department. Once the information is received, we will be able to know, ”he said.
In statements sent after the incident, Walgreens director of operations Eileen Ortega said that while taking Moderna vaccines to a long-term care center in Morovis, a cooler “that was not properly secured fell out of the vehicle.”
“We are very grateful to the person who found the cooler and alerted the local police,” he said at the time. “We will investigate the matter and review our procedures with the team so that this does not happen again,” he added.