Filenews 20 December 2020 - by Marilena Panagi
Developments around coronavirus vaccines are running at breakneck speed both internationally and at European level. The European Union has accelerated the procedures and the dates on which the Scientific Committee of the European Medicines Agency will examine the two leading vaccines against coronavirus, Phizer-BioNtech and Moderna, have been transferred a week in advance.
The Phizer vaccine will be tested, as has been known, on 21 December instead of 29 December and the Moderna vaccine will be put under the microscope of EU scientists on 6 instead of 12 January, as originally planned.
Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen announced on Thursday that vaccinations in the EU will start on 27, 28 and 29 December and as far as Cyprus is concerned, this was followed by an announcement by Health Minister Konstantinos Ioannou, who informed online that vaccinations will start on our island on the 27th.
Of course, it remains unknown whether the manufacturer, which in this case is Phizer, will be able to cover in good time all the quantities agreed at central level when concluding its agreement with the EU. On the one hand the increased demand recorded internationally and on the other hand the fact that the procedures for the authorisation of the vaccine have been accelerated, make the work of the manufacturer, in terms of the construction of the necessary quantities very difficult.
Most likely, as relevant sources from the Ministry of Health and the EU have told "F", "it is that the quantities initially allocated to the EU will be quite reduced from the quantities determined at the time of the conclusion of the agreement". However, they clarified that 'at the end of the procedure all Member States will get, over time, the full amount they are due'.
EU officials, after all, were quick to warn of the situation, saying that vaccinations before the end of 2020 would be rather symbolic. The deputy director of medical services of the Cypriot Health Ministry, Olga Kalakuta, in a statement on Thursday, cited a report by the President of the Commission which said that "the aim is, like all countries, to have given a vaccine in 2020".
In terms of quantities, the first batch of Phizer vaccines for Cyprus was initially set at 48,000 doses (24,000 vaccines) for December, while for Moderna 19,584 doses are scheduled to be received in the first quarter of 2021.
In total, Cyprus, based on the distribution made by the EU (by population ratio), is expected to receive 391,637 doses of vaccine (2 for each person) from Phizer and 156,668 doses from Moderna. Cyprus participates in all 6 agreements concluded between the EU and the manufacturers, with the majority of vaccines committed to Astra-Zeneca (whose vaccine has not yet entered the approval process). From this company are expected in Cyprus, 1,192,043 installments.
The planning for how vaccines are administered in Cyprus is already ready and has even begun to be implemented. In nursing homes and in hospital departments, where workers are considered to be high-risk individuals, relevant forms of declaration of interest for vaccination have been sent.
At the same time, yesterday it was expected that the two special "refrigerators" for the storage and maintenance of the two vaccines (Phizer-BioNtech and Moderna) would arrive in Cyprus.
Priority will be given to vaccinations in nursing homes where around 6,000 vaccines (12,000 doses) will be made available.
Procedures have been defined, the categories of persons to be vaccinated as a matter of priority have been announced and the competent authorities of the State declare their prepared to take action at any time.
When, how and who will be vaccinated
- The storage of vaccines will be central.
- Vaccines will be transferred to the provinces and the 38 vaccination centres operating on a global scale
- Software and GPS will monitor both stocks and the delivery process of vaccines.
- Mobile vaccination units will take over the closed structures, and if necessary, large event venues and other venues will be open in all provinces as vaccination centres.
- Health professionals will be vaccinated on the spot in their workplaces.
- Vaccinations will only be done by appointment to know the number of vaccinations to be carried out per day.
- Vaccination points will be open from 08:00 to 18:00, while doctors and security personnel will be present at the site.
- The whole process will be controlled by specialized software that citizens will also have at their disposal to schedule their appointments.
- Citizens will be informed and they will confirm their appointment via sms.
- The software will make the separation of groups of citizens who will need to be vaccinated.
- The personal doctors of the GHS will take a role in the vaccination process.
- The patient's personal doctor's file will be updated simultaneously in relation to vaccination doses and will be recorded in the GHS software.
- It will be possible to issue a vaccination certificate electronically and the "vaccination booklet" will also be used.
Priority will be given to vaccinations:
- Residents and workers in nursing homes
- Health professionals in hospitals with covid-19 patients, ICU, Accident and Emergency Departments and ambulance service.
- This is followed by the over-80s and 75s and people working in primary health care centres.
- Residents in closed structures, such as prisons and shelters for refugees and migrants
- By spring, vaccination by age group for the general population will begin.
High-risk individuals who will be given priority include:
- Patients with chronic respiratory disease
- With severe chronic renal failure
- Heart failure
- Cardiovascular disease
- Recent acute coronary syndrome or re-transfusion surgery
- Active use of biological agents
- Patients with class C haemoglobinopathy
- Patients with diabetes mellitus
- People with severe obesity
- Patients with a history of transplantation of solid organs or primordial hematopoietic cells
- People with hereditary or acquired immunodeficiency
Vaccination is not compulsory under legislation.
In the first quarter of 2021:
Provided that the timetables are met, the aim of the Ministry of Health is, as in the first half of 2021, to have completed vaccination coverage for more than 40% of the citizens of Cyprus, including the elderly and people working in closed structures, as well as health professionals and people at high risk of serious disease.
During the first quarter of 2021 in Cyprus and always depending on the quantities of vaccines that will arrive regularly on the island, it is planned that they will be vaccinated:
- 2,294 workers and 3,882 nursing home residents
- 1,000 health professionals in ICU, ICU, ambulances and crown chambers
- 33,530 people over the age of 80. Vaccination is expected to begin in January and be completed in the first quarter of 2021.
- 27,667 people over the age of 75.
- People over 16 years of age at high risk for serious illness (the number is not specified but on schedule these individuals will be vaccinated in the first and second quarters of 2021.
