Public Health expects shipment of COVID-19 vaccines

The Dominican Republic Public Health Minister Dr. Daniel Rivera reported that the sixth batch of Sinovac vaccine from China is expected to arrive in the country in the next few days to continue with the National Vaccination Plan.

He pointed out that 570,000 Dominicans have already applied their two doses.

Rivera added that “the chances of contagion for people who do not receive their vaccines are 16 percent, while for those who get vaccinated it is 0.004 percent”.

The Public Health Minister stated that the solution to combat COVID-19 is vaccination, a process that guarantees greater efficiency, less lethality.

However, he emphasized that although people have been vaccinated, they should not lower their guard with the established measures of the use of a mask, physical distancing, and constant hand washing.

Dr. Rivera stated that in the coming days all personnel working in health centers are expected to have the second dose of AstraZeneca / Oxford, manufactured by SK Bioscience of South Korea and acquired through the COVAX Mechanism.

“We recommend that whoever was vaccinated with AstraZeneca should apply the second dose of this same vaccine”, he said during his intervention on the local Color Vision, channel 9.

Regarding the indicators presented by the cases of COVID-19 in the country, the official considered that there has been a drop in the positivity rate, in the internments and that the mortality rate is stable, but it does not mean that the disease does not continue to occur.