Filenews 18 March 2021
Vaccinations with AstraZeneca and Cyprus' decision to temporarily postpone until the final placement of the European Medicines Agency, the Minister of Health said in a statement. At the same time, Mr Ioannou referred to Cyprus' plans for Sputnik and Janssen vaccines.
In response to a question about vaccinations with the AstraZeneca vaccine, given that EU states are awaiting the EMA's decision, Mr Ioannou noted that the 37 cases recorded in 17 million vaccinations are a percentage that would be observed in 17 million people who have not received the vaccine. With regard to Cyprus' decision to temporarily postpone vaccinations with these vaccines, the Minister of Health explained that the Committee on Medicinal Products has decided to postpone it provisionally until the final placement today by the EMA, which is expected to be positive. He noted that deferred appointments will be redefined next week.
Asked to say whether medical and nursing students would be recruited, the Minister said that senior nurses had also been recruited in December and in the same model we would go. "But I stress that it is the human factor that determines the possibilities. As Cyprus, our potential is given. For people from abroad to come to work, it is impossible because all countries need specific specialties. Beds and equipment are available. It's a matter of human resources management. The review of the plans has increased the possibility, but there are limits because we have to care for all other diseases," he said.
Asked when we expected to have the first deliveries from the Janssen vaccine recently approved by the EMA, Mr Ioannou noted that based on the unofficial update so far, the first quantities are expected around mid-April, saying that 200,000 Johnson&Johnson vaccines have been ordered and 55,000 doses are expected to be delivered in the second quarter.
Asked if he would pre-order more doses of the Russian vaccine, the Health Minister replied in the negative, clarifying that the Cabinet made this decision because "there does not appear to be any intention on the part of the European Commission to conclude an agreement similar to the others". Given, he said, that the company has already submitted a preliminary application and since in the future it is likely to be licensed, "we have decided as we do pre-purchase trading, which will first be activated when approved and provided that certain quantities are readily deliverable. So in the absence of an agreement with the EU we make an agreement with the Russian authorities."
Asked if there was any further information from ECDC on the analysis of more samples for virus mutations, Mr Ioannou said yesterday that of 45 samples tested, the British strain was detected in all 45. 'This is of particular concern to us because the sample may be small, but when at 45 everything had the British strain, it now shows that there is a large dispersion of British strain in the community. Let me remind you that it has increased communicability. This also explains the increase in positivity," said the Minister. He added that last December we had in one month the same hospital admissions that in a week now. This, according to the Minister of Health, shows that communicability and, by extension, hospitalizations have increased considerably. "We need to be even more careful in our contacts and even more careful in respecting personal protection measures, because it is extremely dangerous," stressed Mr Ioannou.
In relation to the initiative developed by the EES to find a way to reopen schools, Mr Ioannou said he had been informed by the Head of the Commission and the results of this initiative are expected. "Whatever they propose to us, they will be evaluated and the appropriate decisions will be taken. At the moment we don't have any update," he said.
Asked if any thoughts were being taken to prepare a roadmap for a complete de-escalation of the restrictive measures, the Minister of Health clarified that in order to complete de-escalation, the necessary vaccination coverage of about 60-70% of the population would have to be preceded. "Before that, and even after the vaccination of 70%, some measures may be deemed necessary to exist," Mr. Ioannou said.
Source: eyenews
