43 thousand Ecuadorians will receive the first doses against COVID-19

The first doses will arrive in Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca and Azogues

The Minister of Health, Juan Carlos Zevallos, reported that the 86.000 doses against COVID-19 from the Pfizer company will gradually arrive. The vaccines will be applied to 43 thousand citizens of four cities of the country, in this first pilot plan.

With 226.002 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 14.246 deaths, this January 18 the arrival of the first doses of the coronavirus vaccine is expected.

This Friday, January 15, the minister informed that, initially, the vaccine will cover 43 thousand people with the two doses.

“The vaccines will arrive in boxes, similar in size to a small refrigerator, which will contain 15 thousand doses. Each week we will gradually receive these doses ”, he explained.

Once they reach the distribution points, the DIFARE company will support the transfer of the vaccines to the application points, in smaller thermos, complying with the cold chain. Among the securities, each box has a chip that records the location of each one and also its temperature.

The doses will be distributed first in Quito and then they will arrive in Guayaquil, by plane. While Cuenca and Azogues will be transported by land.

The first to receive the vaccine will be health professionals, who worked in sentinel hospitals, and nursing home staff, both public and private. After receiving the first dose, they must wait 21 days for the application of the second dose. The authorities expect an immunity of 95%.

At the press conference, the minister also reported on the hospital occupation in the country. In Pichincha it is 95.7% occupied by the Intensive Care Units (ICU), Guayas is 95.6%; Azuay by 93.3%. While Imbabura and El Oro are at 100% of their capacity.