[News] Coronavirus in Peru: rejection of Chinese vaccine due to misinformation worries

[DeepPurple]

https://larepublica.pe/sociedad/2021/07/16/coronavirus-en-peru-preocupa-rechazo-a-vacuna-china-por-desinformacion/

Sinopharm. According to Minsa, four studies show effectiveness greater than 90%. It will set up a work table with doctors to receive research. In Cusco, teachers resisted receiving doses.
The request for a third dose from already immunized doctors and the disinformation spread by political figures regarding the protection of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine have generated a negative impact on public health, which must be reversed with speed and scientific evidence, recognizes the Ministry of Health (Minsa).

"When wanting to claim something that may be a concern (in reference to the demand of doctors), the effect is that some people say that they are not going to be vaccinated because 'vaccines are not effective' and prefer others. That affects because they lose the opportunity to be protected. Vaccines are safe ”, says the Deputy Minister of Public Health, Gustavo Rosell.

According to the sector, four studies carried out by the National Institute of Health (INS) and the National Center for Epidemiology, Prevention and Control of Diseases (CDC) on health personnel - immunized with Sinopharm - show that this vaccine protects against the risk of infection, hospitalization and death from COVID-19 and is more than 90% effective.

He adds that, between February 23 and June 26, of a total of 66,918 doctors, 60 unfortunately lost their lives due to COVID-19, confirmed by molecular or antigenic tests. Of these 60 professionals, 39 had not received a single dose, 14 only one and 7 both doses.

“Mortality from COVID-19 in physicians decreased from 6.2 in those who did not apply any dose to 0.1 per 1,000 physicians with two doses; that is, there was a 98.4% decrease in mortality, ”says Minsa, based on a study by the team of residents of the field epidemiology training program at the Universidad Mayor de San Marcos and the CDC.

Rosell, meanwhile, confirms that clinical information will be collected from the deceased to determine if they had a higher risk or comorbidities.

Percy Mayta-Tristán, director of research at the Southern Scientific University, who leads a study to monitor mortality and hospitalizations of doctors, explains that the data from Minsa and other preliminary data suggest that the effectiveness of Sinopharm is high and that the values they can go from 85% to 94%. He adds that while the vaccine works, it is necessary to take the results with caution until they appear in scientific publications.

Fear in regions
Despite this, in regions such as Arequipa and Cusco, the regional health administrations noticed cases of rural teachers or municipal workers who have resisted receiving the Chinese vaccine and decided to wait. "There are people from Cusco who choose to travel to Lima to get immunized with Pfizer," says Diresa.

For Mayta-Tristán, although the request from the Medical College for a third dose could be evaluated, the way in which they do it makes them believe, erroneously, that there is a rejection of vaccines. “They seem to discredit a vaccine that is effective. The third dose should be analyzed based on 3 aspects: when, what type of vaccine and to whom. The union would be wrong asking for it to be applied earlier when nowhere has it been applied after 3 or 4 months ”.

The Health sector, the Medical College and universities plan to install a work table next week to present the research on Sinopharm. For now, clarifies the Minsa, and the WHO has also said, there is no scientific evidence to apply a third dose.