01/18/2021 6:00 AM
Clarín.com
Society
Updated 01/18/2021 6:00 AM
In recent days, people who have relatives in nursing homes located in the City of Buenos Aires have heard the same question: their mother or father or aunt or grandfather, as appropriate to each case, will the Sputnik V vaccine be applied?
The query was made by nursing home administrators who were looking for
an authorization or a refusal
of this application.
For some relatives the response was quick but for others it was not.
In others, the question raised new concerns.
"But if in the country the vaccine is not yet authorized for people over 60, how is it possible?";
"When will they give it to you?";
"Is it a clinical trial or an application authorized by the authorities?"
"Do I have time to consult with your personal doctor to decide ?, were some of the questions among the relatives.
As
Clarín was
able to confirm
, the consultation did not arise from a whim of the geriatrics, but from
a request from the City Ministry of Health
.
Since last week, in the mail boxes of administrators and owners of nursing homes in Capital, a request from the health authorities arrived.
Nursing homes were a source of contagion during the first stage of the pandemic in the City of Buenos Aires.
Photo: Guillermo Rodríguez Adami
From the Buenos Aires area, each institution was asked to report in a list
how many adults over 60 are willing to take the Sputnik V vaccine
.
The email also offered information regarding the vaccine - the way to deliver it, the two doses it includes and its possible adverse effects - but the reason for sending the email was to know how many population of each nursing home will be vaccinated and organize the operation.
"In the City, Sputnik is not going to be applied to people over 60 until it is approved in the country and not indicated by the Ministry of Health of the Nation," said a source from the Buenos Aires area to
Clarín
, before the query regarding why was he wondering about who will agree to get the vaccine of Russian origin, when it is not yet licensed.
And he added: "It is a consultation
for organizational purposes
. Everything will definitely happen once the vaccine is approved."
By December, when the first doses were expected, the idea of the City was to plan the vaccination of the elderly in the same way in which the influenza campaign had been organized during April, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
In other words, call from the last DNI number.
And in turn, prioritize based on age and health.
The idea then was that they get vaccinated in one place and go back to the same place for the second dose.
The Ministry of Health did not inform
Clarín
if that initial plan includes nursing home residents or if another type of operation is being evaluated for them.
Meanwhile, the email that was sent to each nursing home requires the full name of the person who wishes to be vaccinated and their ID.
Operation to evict older adults in the geriatric of the Israelita Hospital, in July 2020. Photo Germán García Adrasti
In the case of older adults residing in nursing homes, not everyone can independently decide whether or not to accept the application of the vaccine.
This segment of the population does not experience the same situation as a doctor, physician, police officer or teacher who, to the full of his abilities, places his arm to receive the dose.
So it became necessary to start
consulting their relatives or guardians
.
The question came in tune with another event: this Friday it was confirmed that the ANMAT already has the papers sent from Russia to analyze the approval of the vaccine for people over 60.
Several sources affirm that the authorization "will come out soon", but it has not happened yet
.
DD