12/20/2020 5:58 PM
Clarín.com
Society
Updated 12/20/2020 6:10 PM
After the doubts that arose about the vaccination against the coronavirus with
Sputnik V
in people over 60 years old, the presidential advisor Cecilia Nicolini affirmed that it is
"safe and effective"
for this group.
He said it from Russia, where he is with the rest of the delegation headed by Carla Vizzotti and aims to advance the necessary authorizations to bring the first 300,000 doses to the country.
Meanwhile, Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said that next week they hope to
begin immunizing the elderly
.
"The vaccine is safe and effective for them (in reference to those over 60) but it still requires authorizations; in the next few days that information will be published and the Russian government will
authorize the vaccine for those over 60,
" Nicolini told Radio Rivadavia.
In turn, he explained that "those over 60 are
between 10% and 15% of the volunteers
of the Sputnik V vaccine" in Russia and stressed that in the first flight of Aerolineas Argentinas "300 thousand doses of vaccines will come" and that "everything is on the way so that they
arrive before Christmas
".
This Saturday, the Undersecretary of Health Strategies of the Ministry of Health, Alejandro Costa, had already ratified, in dialogue with CNN Radio, that Argentina was "prepared for the arrival of the vaccine next week."
Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week that the vaccine was not given because it was not yet recommended for those over 60.
AFP photo
And that the official plan was for an Aerolineas Argentinas Airbus 330-200 to travel to Russia on Tuesday the 22nd, load the vaccines and return with the first doses
on Wednesday the 23rd at 18:30
on a non-stop flight from the Moscow-Sheremetyevo International Airport .
However, Nicolini stressed that "we must be cautious because there are
adverse issues beyond our control for the first shipment
, such as the Russian climate."
Finally, the presidential advisor assured that "they are working, as well as with the rest of the vaccines, on the information regarding the safety results, their efficacy, and the progress of phase 3 so that eventually the ANMAT can give your recommendations for using the vaccine in emergency. "
In this sense, he added that "for months, the ANMAT has received information about the vaccine."
Consulted by
Clarín
about the possibility of expanding the information, sources in the sector indicated that, for the moment, the delegation will not give more statements in this regard.
A Russian health worker administers an injection of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 in Moscow, Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020. (AP Photo / Pavel Golovkin)
They also highlighted that the date of the start of the vaccination campaign
will be defined on Wednesday
, December
23
, at the meeting held by the National Immunization Commission (CoNaIn).
The head of the Infectious Diseases service of the Alexander Fleming Institute, Miguel Dictar, said that
"more data is needed
to know why it was not advisable before to vaccinate those over 60 and now it is."
The specialist pointed out that it surely has to do with the fact that they were able to analyze the effects in a larger group of people in the age range in question.
Although he insisted that it is important that we have the details of what was done to
"scientifically validate its safety
.
"
Nicolini's statements come simultaneously with the statements of the Russian Minister of Health on the television channel of that country Rossiya-1.
The first 300,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine will arrive in the country this Wednesday.
AP Photo
"Yes, we hope so
," Mikhail Murashko said after being asked if vaccination of those over 60 could begin next week.
However, the Russian official did not specify the date.
Then, he added that clinical trials on this population are about to end.
"We would recommend that regions
also involve patients with diabetes
in vaccination," added Murashko.
Sputnik V was registered on August 11.
It was developed by researchers from the Gamaleya Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology together with the Russian Fund for Direct Investment.
Its safety and efficacy were questioned after Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged that it had not been applied because it was not recommended for people over 60 years of age.
"I follow the recommendations of our specialists and that is why for now I have not had the vaccine, but I will do it without fail when possible," the Russian president, who is 68 years old, had pointed out last week.
Sources from the Ministry of Health explained to
Clarín
that the clinical trials had been carried out by age groups and that by the time the Russian president referred to the recommendations on the vaccine, results were still lacking on those over 60, but that the situation changed and today there are more certainties about it.
The contract with the Kremlin (whose signature was known on December 10) contemplates that, in addition to the 300 thousand doses that would arrive this month, between January and February another
20 million doses will
arrive
(that is, to immunize 10 million people ) and a preference in favor of Argentina to be able to vaccinate another 5 million people in March.
DD
Look also
The doubts of the controversial phase 3 study on which they will be based to authorize the Russian Sputnik vaccine against the coronavirus
Putin, the vaccine and the "white and cute" bunnies
