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 Due to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires the application of only one dose, the million vaccines donated could allow mass vaccination. - Johnson & Johnson photo -  |
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Published
Monday, June 14, 2021
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff This week, the Costa Rica Doctors College, an organization founded in 1857, which includes companies and professionals that provide private health services, could receive a donation of 1.5 million vaccines against covid-19. According to the organization, the United States government donated Johnson & Johnson vaccines. "We have been negotiating with the U.S. government authorities, and they have given their approval for the donation," Mauricio Guardia-Gutiérrez, president of the College said. According to Guardia, the U.S. authorities recognize that the College is a responsible organization in the country, therefore, they will have the opportunity to manage this donation. However, for the arrival of this donation, the Ministry of Health must give approval and also the government must help speed up the process of receiving vaccines, the College said in its statement. According to the College experts, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine represents an excellent option to expedite the vaccination process due to its different characteristics. "The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is very well adapted to our environment," Guardia said. "It is a vector vaccine that does not have to be preserved at less than 70 degrees, it can be kept between 2 and 6 degrees." Because the Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires the application of only one dose, the 1.5 million vaccines donated could allow mass vaccination, according to Elliott Garita-Jiménez, a member of the College's Governing Board. Once the donation is achieved and the vaccines are imported the College will develop a mass vaccination campaign. The goal is to use the facilities of shopping centers to carry out mass vaccination sites, where people do not have to get out of the vehicle. The vaccination campaigns would be carried out in shopping centers in the Great Metropolitan Area, which is an area made up of cities in the outskirts of San José such as Alajuela, Heredia and Cartago. Once the health authorities approve the donation, further details will be announced in AM Costa Rica. In February, Johnson & Johnson announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for its single-dose COVID-19 vaccine, developed by the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, to prevent COVID-19 in individuals 18 years of age and older. "This decision was based on the totality of scientific evidence, including data from the Phase 3 ENSEMBLE study that demonstrated the vaccine was 85 percent effective in preventing severe disease across all regions studied, and showed protection against covid-19 related hospitalization and death, beginning 28 days after vaccination," said the company in its statement. According to Johnson & Johnson, the single-dose vaccine is compatible with standard vaccine storage and distribution channels with ease of delivery to remote areas. The vaccine is estimated to remain stable for two years at -4°F (-20°C), and a maximum of three months at routine refrigeration at temperatures of 36-46°F (2 to 8°C). The Company will ship the vaccine using the same cold chain technologies it uses today to transport treatments for cancer, immunological disorders and other medicines. The covid-19 vaccine should not be re-frozen if distributed at temperatures of 36°F–46°F (2°-8°C). -------------------------- How should the government speed up the authorization of the U.S. donation of vaccines? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com            
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