Filenews 13 July 2021
The pandemic is at a key point, Lecturer in Pediatrics at the European University of Cyprus and member of the Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Health, Zoe Dorothea Pana, told THE CYPE.
She noted that the shielding of citizens should be accelerated by vaccination in all age groups that can be vaccinated and reiterated that there is a high number of hospital admissions with 9 out of 10 people involving unvaccinated patients.
In relation to fears of sterilisation from vaccines, she said that according to studies that have been done vaccines do not affect fertility.
"The situation is particularly central today," said Ms. Pana, noting that we are in the middle of the summer season and in a context of relaxations, alongside the prevalence in Europe and Cyprus of the Delta mutation, which is the most contagious strain we have had to manage to date.
"This makes the situation in Cyprus and Europe particularly worrying. The weapon we have and will have in epidemics involving infectious diseases is prevention and that was and will be vaccination," she stressed.
Ms Pana told the CYPE that there should be an acceleration of armour and full vaccination coverage in all age groups that can be vaccinated.
She said the national report reduces the average age of cases to 23 years, reduces the average number requiring hospitalisation to 53 years, and that there is a high number of hospital admissions with 9 out of 10 people involving unvaccinated patients.
"All of this creates a critical situation," she said.
Regarding fears expressed by younger people mainly about the risk of sterilisation from vaccines, Ms Pana, after saying that she herself completed her vaccination as a citizen, clarified that according to the toxicological studies that have been done in order to obtain the authorisation, it is not generally seen from the vaccines available to us for the pandemic that they affect fertility.
Finally, she said young people need to be informed with documentation about their concerns about vaccines.
