First Pfizer Vaccines would arrive in Colombia this Weekend

The arrival of the vaccine against covid-19 has millions of Colombians in expectation and, according to information from the National Institute for Food and Drug Surveillance (INVIMA) and the Presidency of the Republic, the first doses of Pfizer would arrive between tomorrow and Saturday and those of Sinovac would arrive in the country before the 20th of this month.

Julio Cesar Aldana, director of Invima, He spoke with Globe Live Media on the morning of this Friday and confirmed the news that the biologics of the pharmaceutical company Pfizer would set foot on Colombian territory this Saturday or Sunday. In addition, he assured that the arrival of these drugs to the country will allow the Ministry of Health and the president Ivan Duque comply with the announcement that mass vaccination will begin in Colombia on February 20.

“Yesterday at 4 pm we gave the go-ahead for the importation of an important batch that will most likely arrive in the country tomorrow, the day after tomorrow”: Julio Cesar Aldana, director of Invima, in dialogue with Globe Live Media.

Despite director Aldana’s announcement, Globe Live Media managed to establish, with the Invima communications office, that due to the fact that Pfizer has ASUE (authorization for chemical synthesis drugs), which means that the Invima gave the approval to the drugs, “That would not imply that they arrive this weekend”, expressed the entity’s press team.

In addition, the communications office assured Globe Live Media that the arrival of this biological agent in the country depends on Colombia “Be ready to receive the vaccines, but their arrival depends on the pharmaceutical companies and the National Vaccination Plan.”

Aldana assured Globe Live Media that from this Thursday, February 4, Invima gave “The go-ahead for the importation of a significant number of doses of the Pfizer vaccine. It’s a scoop that I’m giving you right now ”, announced the senior official.

Similarly, the presidential advisor for economic affairs and digital transformation, Victor Munoz, he confirmed to the Blu Radio station that the Sinovac doses would arrive in the country two days before the covid vaccination begins in Colombia: “Between February 18 and 19”.

As Munoz informed Blu, the Sinovac biologics “come from Beijing on a special flight contracted by the government.” The announcement by the Presidential official joins that of the Invima director, who, among others, also told La FM that the biologics against SARS-CoV-2 from Pfizer and BioNTech will be in Colombia in the coming days.

Although it has already confirmed that the first batch will be between tomorrow and Sunday, Aldana clarified that everything depends on logistics and that is why, from the entity that presides, the Invima, They have already given the “go-ahead” so that the first doses can be administered to health personnel and the elderly, niches prioritized in the National Health Plan, released in mid-January by the Ministry of Health.

On the other hand, as compiled by that radio station, the director of Invima urged Colombians to remain united and “push the car” to meet the Government’s goal of vaccinating 35 million compatriots in 2021. “The world needs to fight covid-19 and Colombia needs to do it and this will not be easy because the supply is limited and we have to see how we get those vaccines”, Aldana stressed.

Pfizer vaccine

Let us remember that the vaccine from the North American and German companies, Pfizer and BioNtech, was the first vaccine against covid-19 to obtain authorization from the European Union to be commercialized, on December 21. After trials in 44,000 people it was found that it is 95% effective, the highest of all.

The country will have 10 million of this vaccine to immunize 5 million Colombians. There are two doses that are applied to each patient, with 21 days difference. Due to its specificities, it must remain below 70 ° C at the time of injection, which is why it needs deep freezers to be preserved.

Sinovac Vaccine

2.5 million Chinese Sinovac vaccines will arrive in the country, to immunize 1.25 million Colombians, after Invima approved their entry.

Its efficacy for mild cases in Brazil was 78%, in Indonesia it was 65% and in Turkey it was 91%. In severe patients due to covid-19, who require hospitalization, it has reached 100%. Doses are indicated for patients between 16 and 60 years old.