[News] Until March, in two ways, Ecuador would receive 218,840 doses to treat COVID-19

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In the first quarter of 2021, Ecuador would receive 218,840 doses of vaccines from Pfizer and AstraZeneca, thus immunizing 109,420 people against the coronavirus.

Between February and March, the AstraZeneca vaccines that are part of the Covax initiative led by the World Health Organization (WHO) would begin to arrive.

According to preliminary information, Ecuador will receive 885,600 doses, which would arrive in the following way: 132,840 (15% in the first quarter of 2021) and 495,936 (56% in the second quarter). The remaining 256,824 will be provided in the second half of the year, it was said.

Meanwhile, until the end of this month the 86,000 doses of Pfizer would be completed.

In this case, 1,962 doses of 8,190 vaccines that arrived from a first batch were reserved by the Ministry of Health to apply a second dose within the so-called pilot plan.

According to that secretary of state, 6,228 people have already been vaccinated.

Rodrigo Henríquez, epidemiology and public health researcher at UDLA, pointed out that although in general terms the vaccination process by phases is adequate, he considered that the technical information on how it is going to be carried out has been insufficient.

He explained that it is not clear what is the participation of health subsystems such as the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute (IESS), the Red Cross, Solca, the Board of Charity, the private sector, and that there has not been "much transparency" in relation to the vaccine purchasing processes.

He believes that the Government should expand the range of suppliers to Russia, China, India or Cuba, as does Alberto Narváez, a public health professor, who believes that it is necessary to find other bidders by joining with other countries and making negotiations.

Meanwhile, the situation in hospitals remains complicated, although there is a certain drop in the demand for hospital beds, at least in Carlos Andrade Marín.

According to yesterday's report, 54 of the 59 beds for COVID-19 hospitalization were occupied, 92% occupied. Last Monday, the level was 100%.