Judith Pena | January 12, 2023
The more than 75 thousand doses of bivalent vaccine against Covid-19 that arrived in the country are already being distributed in the different health regions and according to the head of the Portfolio, Luis Francisco Sucre, the first applications will be given following the protocols established in the priority personnel, which are health and security sectors.
“The doctors, nurses, all health personnel, the Police, who are always in contact with people, will be applied to them first,” Sucre explained, noting that the second group will be people over 60 years of age, the immunocompromised or with chronic diseases and then the rest of the population.
He said that the Ministry of Health (Minsa) also maintains the installed capacity within hospitals ready in view of the possibility of an increase in the number of covid-19 cases, as a result of the various activities that will be carried out in the coming days, such as the national fairs and carnivals.
Minister Sucre mentioned that currently in the country positivity is below 6%, with an average of close to 200 cases reported per day; however, he said the main purpose is to continue to reduce the numbers.
“The expected thing is that by Christmas and New Year the cases begin to increase and this is going to stick with social activities such as the Parade of the Thousand Skirts, the carnivals, so we are preparing to face it,” he said.
In Panama, during the epidemiological week from January 1 to 7, a total of 1,403 positive cases of Covid-19 were registered throughout the country.
Bivalent dose vaccination strategy
Regarding the immunization strategy with the doses of the bivalent vaccine, he pointed out that the first phase will be aimed at all health personnel on the front line of Covid-19 patient care and the entire team that will participate in mass activities; the National Police, the National Civil Protection System and the Panama Fire Department, who participate in events such as fairs, the Parade of the Thousand Skirts, carnivals, etc.
Subsequently, the mechanism is transferred to adults over 60 years of age and as bivalent doses arrive, it will be applied to other age groups.
