Nicaragua has now moved into Phase 3 of their Voluntary Vaccination Program for Covid-19 with healthcare and front-line workers as well as those over 55 with chronic conditions.
Phase 3
Yesterday, May 3rd, the health authorities started a 3 day program of voluntary vaccination of front line healthcare workers (public and private), immigration personnel, army, police and customs officers with the first dose (of two doses in total) of the Covishield vaccine.
Most of the healthcare workers who will be receiving of the vaccination are working at healthcare centers and hospitals around the country and in direct contact with patients.
The vaccine being used in Phase 3 is what is left from the 335,000 doses of the Covishield vaccine from India that was started to be used in Phase 2 of the 335,000.
The government of India donated 200,000 doses on March 5th 2021 and the COVAX Delivery Facility donated a further 135,000 doses on the 14th of March 2021, enough to vaccinate a total of 167,500 of the population of Nicaragua with the double dose required to achieve the required level of immunity.
The 6,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine (donated on February 22nd 2021) were used in Phase 1 of the Voluntary Vaccination Program for the hospitalized patients on dialysis and then those with other most chronic of conditions.
Over 55
The government has announced that starting on Friday the 7th of May 2021, Nicaraguans and Legal Residents over 55 with chronic conditions will be eligible to receive their first dose of the Covishield vaccine at “departmental, regional and national hospitals”. Chronic conditions have previously been classified using government guidelines as renal, oncological, diabetic and hypertensive issues.
More Doses Needed
Today, Tuesday 4th of May 2021, Nicaragua received 70,000 more doses of the Sputnik V vaccine from Russia, through the Russian Fund for Direct Investment. Enough for 35,000 people.
So far, Nicaragua has received a total of 411,000 doses of Covid-19 Vaccine. That is enough to give 205,500 people the double dose required to be effective.
There is no official word yet on the next delivery of vaccines. However, Nicaragua now has the backing of The Central American Bank for Economic Integration for up to US $100 million to purchase Covid-19 vaccinations as part of their plan to vaccinate 3.27 million Nicaraguans.
Meanwhile, Japan has donated US $1.5 million to help Nicaragua with cold storage supply chain logistics guaranteeing the reception, transportation and onward distribution of Covid-19 vaccines. The donation has been made though the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) who will manage the purchase of the equipment required to transport the vaccines.
