Health workers' vaccination with Pfizer has delayed vaccination of over-80s

BarcelonaCatalonia is one of the autonomous communities with the lowest percentage of vaccinated over-80s: only 30% have received the first dose and only half of these (14%) have received the second, according to government sources. These data do not include older people living in care homes, about 60,000 people who are already vaccinated, but other territories such as Asturias and Andalusia already have a vaccination coverage rate that reaches 86% and 56%, respectively, in this older group.

The Secretary of Public Health, Josep Maria Argimon, believes it is a question of prioritisation: Catalonia has sought to shield the 1,040 Catalan care homes and all health centers to generate the first immune spaces. "We have followed a strategy of encapsulation", he has explained, since not only have users and care home and healthcare staff been vaccinated, but also other workers who frequented these centers.

"All non-healthcare workers who come in and out of care homes and healthcare centres every day were vaccinated. We wanted to create this microcosm where there is already a herd immunity and we have had very good results in nursing homes and health centers," said the secretary, who stressed the success of vaccination in reducing new outbreaks inside hospitals and nursing homes.

This is where the Pfizer vaccine has been used the most. It was the first vaccine that arrived and it is delivered the most regularly. But now it is also the only one that can be given to those over 80, since AstraZeneca has an age limit (it can only be given to those under 65) and Moderna sends virtually no doses. In addition, Moderna vaccines cannot be moved once they have thawed because they could spoil. This means they have to be kept in centralised in spaces that have freezers at -20ºC, mainly hospitals, to minimise the movement of the vials.

The latest data revealed by the Health Department, earlier this month, already found that 80.2% of health workers working in hospitals and primary care have received at least one Pfizer dose, regardless of their age. Thus, the second doses to health professionals, many of them young, have slowed the vaccination process of older people living at home. "But I insist: in mid-May we will have administered both doses to the over-80s," said Argimon.

In fact, the secretary defended the Government's strategy and pointed out that, unlike other autonomous communities, Catalonia has been vaccinating another very fragile segment of the population with Moderna for weeks despite the shortage of doses: transplant patients, oncology patients (with solid tumors) and patients on dialysis. "All regions receive a number of doses proportional to their population, and every vaccine that arrives is administered," said Argimon

183.000 doses of the three vaccines

The forecasts for the coming days suggest that Catalonia will receive at least 183,000 doses of the three vaccines available in the coming days and until next week: 104,000 from Pfizer, 62,000 from Moderna and at least 17,000 from AstraZeneca. Much of it, however, will continue to go to second doses. For example, Moderna will ship 62,000 doses next week, but 42,000 of these (approximately 70%) will have to be spent on second doses for sure. Of the remaining 20,000 doses, 10,000 will be administered only in hospitals and to people with neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, transplants and on dialysis.

"The other 10,000 [vaccines] will be kept in the refrigerator as a reserve for the second dose to these people, since the shipments of Moderna are very inconsistent," Argimon explained. That is, only a small part of the shipment (10,000) will be used to continue advancing immunisation, since the bulk of the preparations will be used to complete vaccination schedules.

As for the Pfizer vaccines, which are delivered more regularly, 104,000 are due to arrive next week. The following week, April 5-11, 194,000 more are expected to arrive. The Health Department expects to receive about 17,000 more doses from AstraZeneca tomorrow, Friday, after the Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical company only delivered 15,000 of the 62,000 that were to arrive on Sunday. "And then we'll have to wait and see when the remaining 30,000 will be recovered," Argimon admitted.

AstraZeneca will not send doses until April 5

However, AstraZeneca has again cut shipments and will not only send 30,000 pending vaccines, but the 148,000 doses scheduled for next week will not arrive until at least April 5. The information was shared by Minister of Health, Alba Vergés, on social networks. She described the delay as "shameful". The delivery will be delayed until after Easter and, in addition, the exact amount of doses to be delivered is unknown. In total, then, AstraZeneca will owe 178,000 vaccines.

Government sources deny that this setback will affect the appointments that have been scheduled for next week, since they will be administering the 120,000 doses in storage. The problem, they stress, is that next week they will not be able to open a new batch of appointments, which will be a new obstacle in vaccination.