Our country has been an example and a model to follow in vaccination programs. Vaccines have been key in controlling diseases such as Polio, which will soon be eradicated altogether. It has also been a weapon against Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Meningitis, and without it the deadly Smallpox would not have been eradicated from the planet.
“Without vaccines it would not be possible to emerge triumphant from this pandemic,” this is the opinion of our prestigious guest of the month, Dr. Marta Illueca, a Global Clinical and Scientific Researcher, who is committed to educating about the role of vaccines to control this and other pandemics.
Her professional career has been carried out mainly in the United States, where it is worth highlighting her specialization in Pediatric Gastroenterology at Cornell University her role as Academic Researcher in Pain Medicine and Spirituality in current collaboration with Tufts, Yale and Harvard Universities and her twelve year career as Director of the Clinical Research and Medical Affairs Leader for AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals.
Dr. Illueca pointed out that we have the human, medical, nursing and health personnel resources prepared to implement vaccination.
Are the protocols to reduce infections good enough to keep a visitor safe in our country without having the vaccine?
“The sanitary protocols in Panama are quite strict. All visitors must bring proof of a negative test and if they do not have it, a rapid diagnostic test is applied upon arrival. Since the Tocumen Airport was reopened gradually with humanitarian flights and then with commercial ones, a control measure for visitors level has been gradually implemented, to the point that they have been able to detect undeclared cases, do follow up on travelers who require a quarantine, as a protection against the spread of the Coronavirus ”.
What would be the effectiveness of buying from different Pharmaceutical Houses and what kind of credibility would it give the tourist?
“Due to the huge demand for vaccines, we need more than one technology platform and more than one manufacturer for this monumental effort. Our government authorities have adopted a dual strategy. The strategy includes short-term bilateral agreements with three pharmaceutical companies. Agreements have been announced with Pfizer (the first vaccine approved by FDA for emergency use), and AstraZeneca and Johnson and Johnson, with whom we have purchased 4.3 million vaccine doses that are expected in Panama on the first quarter of 2021. For the second quarter of the year, a multilateral arrangement has been agreed with the World Health Organization’s COVAX program, for an additional 1.1 million doses of one of the vaccines within their multiple portfolio.
A staggered vaccination program will be developed, starting with health personnel and vulnerable adults over 60 years old, specially those in long term care. It will continue with other vulnerable segments, essential personnel and will advance towards the rest of the population”.
In which way Panama’s image will benefit from being one of the first countries in the region to receive vaccines and being part of the international distribution policy that is planned?
“We have acted with certainty and efficiency to ensure the contracting of vaccines for the first semester of 2021. With the contracted doses and with the W.H.O. COVAX program, we will be above the minimum global vaccination average (20%). According to calculations we are going to be very close to 2/3 of the population availability, that will take us closer to the “Herd Immunity”, a stage in Public Health that would allow us to defeat the Coronavirus.
On the other hand, we must continue to educate the public about our ongoing research capacity, in order to continue to implement Phase 1 to Phase 3 clinical trials with vaccines from the most modern technological platforms. We have an experienced scientific staff at hand to offer these vaccines in development within a safe and controlled research framework and in with that, access to additional vaccines”.
What is the biggest lesson we can take as a country from this pandemic?
“The biggest lesson we can take from this pandemic is that in order to get out of a crisis as devastating as Covid-19, harmony, solidarity and reconstructive collaboration between humans is required. Panama has treasures in our natural resources, which lure tourists who want to enjoy our nation. But we also have human, social, business, scientific resources, and – I want to remind people of the value of science. Science is the heart and engine that promotes progress for humanity – it has helped early detection of the virus and the development of vaccines.
Tourists must know that we have amazing scientific and technological expertise, so their arrival and stay will be safe.
We have had the opportunity to show our strengths in this pandemic, identifying an unparalleled number of Covid-19 genomes, and we will soon have treatments and vaccines, which will raise the scientific level of the country and attract more visitors”.
