Filenews 3 January 2021 - by Giannis Antoniou
"Cyprus, like the other EU states, has in its hands the most effective weapon for tackling the pandemic and it is natural that this brings euphoria to all of us, but unfortunately the road to normality is a long one." This is highlighted in "F" by the Deputy Director of Medical Services Olga Kalakuta, who estimates that from the summer onwards, by the end of 2021 there will be the vaccination shield. "It is for this reason that by then the targeted measures implemented should continue, which depending on the epidemiological picture should also be adapted," she argues.
- The first vaccinations are a fact, but the road remains long. How's the process going?
-Cyprus, like the other Member States of the European Union, has had the most effective weapon in dealing with the pandemic since last Sunday, and it is natural that this brings euphoria to all of us. Unfortunately, however, the road to normality is a long one. So far a vaccine has completed the necessary evaluation process at European level and has been licensed and a second one is currently following the same procedure. The quantities of vaccines available are limited. At the same time, each vaccinator acquires the most wanted protection shield one month later, after taking the second dose of vaccine at three weeks and intervening an additional week.
-When do you think there will be vaccination coverage of a vital percentage of the population, so that we can walk more confidently?
-We will be able to say that we are going with more certainty when the receipt and use of vaccines, from a few thousand a week that we take and use today, increases to tens of thousands and cumulatively we reach a coverage rate of our population that exceeds 65% to 70%. With today's epidemiological picture, this will certainly not be achieved until mid-summer 2021. The same, of course, is expected to happen in the other Member States. It is for this reason that by then the targeted measures implemented should continue, which, depending on the epidemiological picture, should also be adapted. It is the increase in vaccination coverage above some percentage that will gradually begin to bring about an improvement in the epidemiological picture. The majority of the population is expected to be covered around the end of the new year.
-An important part that does not safely allow the implementation of the vaccination roadmap is the small number of vaccines and the fact that there is still no news on vaccines from companies other than Pfizer. Is there any evidence?
-The vaccine of BIONTech and Pfizer was licensed on December 21st and that of Moderna expect to get its own positive evaluation soon. The European Medicines Agency is expected to meet on 6 January at an "extraordinary" meeting, six days earlier than originally scheduled on 12 January, to give its findings. As far as other vaccines are concerned, none have so far submitted an application for evaluation to the European competent Agency, which places the positive evaluation of any third vaccine not before the beginning of February.
- How's the vaccination plan progressing so far? What stage are we at?
-In our country vaccination with the vaccine of BIONTech and Pfizer will continue this week and will complete the first vaccination dose of nursing home tenants and closed structures and frontline health professionals. The vaccination of the former is achieved through properly staffed mobile units, which have literally saved our country and managed to offer the hope of liberation to the residents, in their own place of residence. In the second case, the health infrastructure itself is involved in vaccinating their workers, which has facilitated and accelerated the process. In the week beginning January 4th, vaccination of people over the age of 80 will begin. This will take place in designated Vaccination Centers in Primary Health Care structures of the Organization of State Health Services. The OKY continues its contribution to the Cypriot citizen, this time in the field of disease prevention.
-When is the online platform expected to be launched, through which citizens will request vaccination appointments? And how will the procedure be done?
-The online platform through which citizens will request vaccination appointments is expected to be operational on Monday 4 January. The platform will arrange the day and time and define the Vaccination Centre to be preferred by someone. The way we arrange the appointment is simple, the same as the way we all sign up for the GHS. We will be able to secure our registration ourselves, our children or grandchildren, our neighbour. The platform also allows for arranging appointments through our personal doctor's office. Line 1474 will continue to provide us with general information on vaccination issues for COVID-19 and the entire vaccination programme. Finally line 17000, technical support during the use of the platform and in the process of securing appointments. It will also be possible to facilitate those of our elderly who continue to be denied access and arrange appointments on the platform. At the end of the appointment process, the person will receive a text message on their mobile phone with the details of their appointment, and there is also the possibility to send a reminder. At the same time as the 1st dose is administered, an appointment for the administration of the 2nd dose will be arranged and a reminder will be sent the day before. In the same way, by appointment and through the Vaccination Centres, vaccination of the next two groups involving people over the age of 75 and then over 16 years of age with a high risk of serious disease will then proceed.
NO REPORTS FOR PROVISIONS
-There have been reports of symptoms after vaccination, either in Cyprus or abroad, if you know?
-Experts say that to date more than 4 million people have been vaccinated, with no more than expected side effects, allergies and some transient mild side effects, as described in the drug's approval dossier. Nothing more to make someone worry or be hesitant to get vaccinated. Similarly in our country there are no particular reports of side effects. It is recalled that the design of the vaccination programme for the crown includes the section on pharmacovigilance and the declaration of any adverse reactions, within the framework of the procedures already in place by the competent Unit of Pharmaceutical Services of the Ministry of Health.
"There will be human resources needs"
-What is your assessment of the implementation of the vaccination programme so far?
-The evaluation so far of the implementation of the vaccination programme for the crown in our country is positive and concerns the operation of the programme through mobile units. No problems have been reported at the operational level, whether it concerns the reception, storage and movement of the vaccine, or the operation of mobile units, the staffing of the teams, the provision of equipment and consumables and the vaccination of the population itself. So far it has not been considered necessary to differentiate the original design and the timetables set each day are respected without any problems. A strong point in the whole effort is the fact that existing structures and procedures are used in its implementation. Particular reference should be made to the basic potential of this effort, the properly trained and experienced Health Visitors, of the Nursing Services of the Administration of the Ministry of Health. They form a structure with many years of experience in implementing population vaccination programs in the student population, an experience that has made full use of the program.
-What are the challenges that the vaccination program has to face next?
-The limited availability of vaccines, as well as the fact that the initial target population concerned a specific and relatively limited number of people, enabled the vaccination programme for the crown to be tested without particular pressure. The challenges it is certainly expected to face relate to human resources needs, when the available vaccines will have increased. In order not to remain unspent vaccines and to administer them immediately, the programming concerns a gradual extension to as many vaccination centres/workshops as possible, the staffing of which at some point will not be possible with permanent staff. The role of voluntary labour supply by health professionals will be catalytic. It is important to offer so far, for voluntary work, professional bodies of health professionals such as PIS and PASYNM and the Society of General Medicine or institutions such as PASYN. Even private dispensaries such as the PY Centre of the University of Nicosia which voluntarily covers a large part of the needs of mobile units for medical coverage
