Irene Hartmann
07/22/2021 12:48 PM
Clarín.com
Society
Updated 07/22/2021 12:54 PM
Argentina awaits - at this point, impatiently - slightly less than
7 million doses of component 2
of the Russian
Sputnik V
vaccine
.
Realistically, how long could the delivery of these items take to complete the vaccination schedules started with that drug against Covid?
To the frustration of the reader, of the times only
hypotheses
can be outlined
.
In tune with the letter of complaint to the Gamaleya Center signed by the presidential adviser Cecilia Nicolini (who published
La Nación
this Thursday
), the uncertainty - for the benefit of Russia;
to the detriment of Argentina - it completely stains the relationship between the parties and gives rise to an
unequal dialogue
.
In dialogue with
Clarín
,
Sonia Tarragona
, Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Health of the Nation, was emphatic: “The question of the dates is a question that we can never answer.
We do not have officially confirmed dates ”.
However, he recalled that
"by August"
-without precision of days- it is expected to have second doses "of local production, something that does not depend on the production capacity but on the fact that the active principle is sent to Richmond."
Tarragona thus referred to the doses of both components that the Richmond laboratory of Marcelo Figueiras, based in Pilar, is producing in Argentina.
Now, what did they say in the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF)?
What the Government learned "to the slaps": "In general,
the RDIF does not give information
on the dates of deliveries, nor on the quantities included in the shipments."
The uncertainty about the composition of the consignments arriving from Russia characterized all the shipments made since the end of 2020. At the close of these lines, the doses arrived at Argentina already totaled
9,375,670 for the first component and 2,493,160 for the second
.
So far, 2,493,160 people have received the two components of Sputnik.
Almost 7 million more are still waiting for it.
Photo Andrés D'Elía
In other words, of all the people who received a dose of Sputnik,
73.4% have only half a vaccine
.
There are
6,882,510 people waiting
.
Some cross their fingers to complete their vaccination schedule in a timely manner, perhaps only a month or a couple of weeks ago.
Others directly “cut nails” more than three months ago.
It should be clarified that many of these people were immunized 10 or 12 weeks ago because they belong to risk groups and were "prioritized" by the campaign, an expression that was made relative by the delays.
These are adults 60 years of age or older, or people between 18 and 59 years old who suffer from some comorbidity that puts them at greater risk of hospitalization or death from Covid.
Adenovirus 5
Unlike the other vaccines that are applied in the country to combat the coronavirus, Sputnik V is made up of two doses of different compounds.
The first is based on a human adenovirus 26 vector (Ad26);
the second, from adenovirus 5 (Ad5).
The problem with Sputnik is precisely in this second element, whose production turned out to be much more difficult than the first, something that a few weeks ago Marcelo Figueiras, accountant and owner of the Richmond laboratory explained to this medium: “It is a question of
productive performance
”.
“It has to do with a performance issue.
From the cell culture, from the unit of measure you have of component 1 you get 100, for example, and from 2, more or less 25 ”, he specified.
Vial of Sputnik V sent by the Gamaleya Institute to the Richmond Laboratory.
In view of the fact that in the coming weeks the Delta variant may be installed in Argentina (which, it is estimated, will displace the other variants of concern in the country), the lack of second doses is not a minor issue.
Sufficient immunity to cope with this vastly more contagious variant is known to require complete vaccination schedules.
In time and form.
NS
Look also
The letter from the Government to Russia that reveals the great difficulties in obtaining second doses of Sputnik V
The keys to the email that Cecilia Nicolini sent to the manufacturers of Sputnik V