Over 12 years old will be vaccinated with Pfizer against covid-19 in Panama

(CNN Spanish) – People over 12 years of age will be immunized in Panama with Pfizer / BioNTech vaccines against covid-19, after the country’s Ministry of Health issued the Emergency Use Authorization for this drug.

In a statement, the Ministry of Health explained that the decision “is based on safety and efficacy data in this age group as in adults”, but it was also made clear that “this authorization does not include its use by people under 12 years of age. ”.

Among the indications it is explained that, in the case of minors, two doses will be placed with an interval of 3 to 4 weeks, as is done with adults, and that those who have received a dose of the Pfizer vaccine, ” they must complete the second dose with the same pharmaceutical company ”.

“There is no data on the interchangeability of the Pfizer BioNTech covid-19 vaccine with other vaccines,” to complete the vaccination schedule, the statement from the Ministry of Health of Panama detailed.

According to the Expanded Program on Immunization, from January 20 to Monday, 1,749,605 doses of vaccines against covid-19 from Pfizer / BioNTech and AstraZeneca were applied, which are the only ones arriving in the country.

Panama accumulates 416,232 confirmed cases of coronavirus until Monday, of which 6,646 died and there are 13,637 active infected, according to the daily report of the Ministry of Health. The document indicates that to date there have been 728 hospitalized and, of them, 109 in intensive care.