On September 13, immunization against Covid-19 will begin for adolescents between 12 and 15 years old, confirmed the Deputy Minister of Governance and Health Surveillance, José Ruales.
The boys will receive the formula from the American Pfizer and its German partner BioNtech, which is applied to young people of 16 and 17 years old, who already have access to vaccines since the previous month.
“We are going to move back to health facilities for the immunization of adolescents under 16 years of age. It will be part of the regular vaccination program ”, explained the official.
This population amounts to 1.3 million people, out of the 17.7 million inhabitants: they represent 7.5% of the total, according to INEC projections.
The number of doses that will be applied to them is still being analyzed, according to Ruales. On Monday, the Minister of Health, Ximena Garzón, indicated that the possibility of administering only one dose was opened. This decision is evaluated because in Great Britain there were reports on the appearance of adverse reactions in those who accessed the full scheme.
One of the negative effects recorded was myocarditis or inflammation of the arteries of the heart. It occurred in 65 out of every million boys, so it was recommended to place a dose, which is very effective.
But Vice Minister Ruales commented that “at this time there is no decision to reduce the number of doses or extend the period of administration.” The resolution will be known after receiving the recommendations of the Committee of Experts on Immunizations of Ecuador.
Salud has 2.5 million formulas from the American firm, for inoculation to adolescents, which will arrive between September and November, as part of the five million contracted and will arrive by direct purchase or through the Covax Facility initiative, of the WHO.
The Ecuadorian Society of Pediatrics, chaired by Fernando Aguinaga, highlighted the importance of inoculation to boys, in whom the frequency of the disease or the number of cases detected varies between 2% and 13%.
Most teens do not get seriously ill. However, those who have comorbidities or pre-existing pathologies, such as diabetes, asthma, immunosuppressants, etc. they are at risk.
For this reason, it is advisable to vaccinate with two injections and with an interval of 21 days, although the second dose can be applied up to six weeks after the first. “With the two doses, the effectiveness is 100%.”
The pediatric infectologist Carola Cedillo agrees that children should be immunized, because complications are reduced or serious disease is reduced. So far, only Pfizer has presented studies in this population, so there is greater safety, she noted.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) extended the authorization for the use of the vaccine in boys of this age range, last May. It did so after presenting positive results from studies conducted on 2,260 participants. One of them shows its high protection; that is, if the person is infected, they have little chance of getting worse or dying.
But, isolated adverse effects were also observed with the application of the second formula. Despite this, the number of doses is the same for adults: two, with an interval of three weeks (21 days).
The United States, Great Britain, Peru, Colombia, Italy, France, Canada, Chile, among others, use the Pfizer vaccine, so far. In China, on the other hand, the Sinovac formula is applied. Neither have negative effects been reported. Even in Chile they started the tests for its application in populations 3 years and older.
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