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Covid vaccine progress Spain

113K views 1K replies 46 participants last post by  xabiaxica 
#1 ·
Sorry not sure where to pos. For obvious reasons we are desperate for daughters and grandchildren to visit, and whilst the U.K. appears to be forging ahead with thier vaccination program,I’m struggling to find regional statistics for Spain, mainly because I’m very tired and can’t function properly. Any easy links would be greatly appreciated as would not knocking the EU etc just simple facts

thank you in advance
 
#7 ·
Im not. its important to see how other countries are doing as this is not a Spanish/French or great British disease this is a global pandemic and every delay I one country causes issues for others

Yes, have to admit that the UK vaccine programme is absolutely powering ahead and Spain's is not, well much depends on where you live...
At the moment only 2% of the population has been vaccinated. I'm not sure if that means people have had the 2 injections necessary or not or have just received one and so are included in the vaccination programme. Here is an article that shows differences between comunidades, but have to admit I'm not sure what the figures really mean.
Vacunación en España | Datos y porcentajes de población vacunada de coronavirus por comunidades
A third vaccine, Janssen, will be approved soon in Spain and this is much awaited as you only need one dose. It won't actually be approved and ready for use here until the tail end of the vaccinating programme though.
I agree. If the U.K. figures are to be believed and I have no reason not too, for the first time they’re ahead of the game.

Spain is next only to Denmark and Italy in vaccine rollout in EU, followed by Baltic States, Germany, Central Europe. Near the bottom is France.
that’s good to Hear. I’m not sure what my prognosis is, I’d like to see my girls and grandchildren again which is why I’m asking the question.
 
#5 ·
Yes, have to admit that the UK vaccine programme is absolutely powering ahead and Spain's is not, well much depends on where you live...
At the moment only 2% of the population has been vaccinated. I'm not sure if that means people have had the 2 injections necessary or not or have just received one and so are included in the vaccination programme. Here is an article that shows differences between comunidades, but have to admit I'm not sure what the figures really mean.
Vacunación en España | Datos y porcentajes de población vacunada de coronavirus por comunidades
A third vaccine, Janssen, will be approved soon in Spain and this is much awaited as you only need one dose. It won't actually be approved and ready for use here until the tail end of the vaccinating programme though.
 
#8 ·
The U.K. apear to be doing a good job looking at the news. Vaccination must be priority one if the world is going to end the lockdown / open up / lockdown again vicious cycling. Unless Spain goes up a few gears with its vaccination program, then we will still be locking down in another 12+ months time. It’s not looking promising for Spain or the EU currently, it would appear the failure to early purchase vaccines by the EU, coupled with Spanish delays to roll out what they have got are the causes of the issue?
Assuming it’s possible to get to the U.K. does anyone know if expats can get a vaccination in the U.K.
 
#939 ·
The U.K. apear to be doing a good job looking at the news. Vaccination must be priority one if the world is going to end the lockdown / open up / lockdown again vicious cycling. Unless Spain goes up a few gears with its vaccination program, then we will still be locking down in another 12+ months time. It’s not looking promising for Spain or the EU currently, it would appear the failure to early purchase vaccines by the EU, coupled with Spanish delays to roll out what they have got are the causes of the issue?
Assuming it’s possible to get to the U.K. does anyone know if expats can get a vaccination in the U.K.
Probably the EU did not early purchase enough vaccine because many of it's health authorities don't believe the science and it's entirely possible that they're right because no-one at this point knows how effective any of these vaccines really are. The fact that cases are slowing down could just be the natural characteristic of the virus. How many viruses have we seen in the past that did not require a vaccine?
 
#9 ·
I suppose the main issue will be international travel. I fear that there will be two options come summer. One lift restrictions, if sufficient numbers are vaccinated, but keep borders closed or open borders but keep restrictions. If the virus can still be passed after vaccination I think all countries will maintain restrictions on travel but allow their own population to get back to work, study, etc. Last years opening of borders for Spain was seen as a huge mistake and New Zealand is being seen as an example we should all have followed.
 
#10 ·
I can see that the "opportunity" being created by some of Spain's health authorities is that the vaccine is offered by private medical services.
The goverment hasn't authorised this yet and doesn't want to (the ideal situation for a socialist government is obviously that everyone gets the vaccine free of charge), but the slow progress is perhaps a factor which will make them change their mind.
People will also slowly become more and more desperate and prepared to pay for the vaccine as time goes on. We are already seeing how some peopel are using their contacts and positions to get to the top of the public vaccination lists.
A cynic may even think that the authorties who are being very slow to vaccinate are doing it as a leverage to pressure the government to allow the private sector to get in on the business... there's a lot of money to be made out of this, just like the private PCR tests (18€ cost, 120€ provate sales price....). Thankfully I'm not that cynical... :rolleyes:
 
#11 ·
Understand your thinking but I very much doubt Sanchez/ Inglesias will in anyway accept allowing certain sectors to have easier access to vaccinations than others. One reason is that enchufes are going to be a huge problem soon and that is going to be a big embarrassment. Already we have seen it in Madrid where in one care home they vaccinated staff, their families, acquaintances, the priest etc. Animal Farm is still alive and well!°
 
#12 ·
Sure, there are already many cases of people jumping the queue, but I personally would rather that they paid a private supplier than get a free one from the government by illicit means.
I am prepared to bet that as soon as the free jab has been issued to the pensioners and high risk members of the population, the "business" will be opened up to the competition and we will either be waiting until December, or longer, for the free one or paying 250€, or more, to get it before the summer....
 
#13 ·
But Sanchez has already said that they intend to have everyone offered a vaccination by end of summer. Besides where will the private businesses acquire the vaccination? Cant see producers selling it to them when they have already signed up to produce billions for countries and the government wont sell their reserves ( if they have any)
 
#14 ·
Sadly the roll-out of the vaccine is not in Sanchez' hands. Health care depends on the CAs and unless he decrees a state of emergency he can't centralise that. Sadly for us Madrileños, we cannot escape from Ayuso's control.....
And do you really think that Pfizer (or any other private Pharamco) woud refuse to sell to a private healthcar provider?
 
#15 · (Edited)
But wasn't last year's flu vaccine unavailable in the private sector? I saw lots of complaints on various sites from people who had been unable to buy it at their local pharmacy, apparently because all doses had been bought by the public sector.

I do, however, remember seeing a press report a few days ago saying that Spain may make the Covid19 vaccine available to the private sector later in the year IF they have a surplus of doses. That seems unlikely at the moment especially after the unwelcome news last week that Pfizer will be cutting the number of doses to be delivered to several countries (Spain included) over the next few weeks as they are retooling their factory in Belgium to allow the number of doses they can produce there to be increased from March onwards.

Progress does seem very slow at the moment. However, they seem (in Andalucia at least) to have stuck to their promise to vaccinate care home residents and staff (plus front line health workers) first, and this week are starting to administer their second doses. As I understand it Sanidad has also dismissed the idea of leaving a gap of 12 weeks between the two jabs, as is being done in some countries, which will inevitably mean fewer people getting the first jab by a given date. But personally as the vaccine manufacturers (both Pfizer and Astra Zeneca) have said they have no evidence to prove that the vaccine is effective if doses are administered so far apart, I think that decision is the right one.
 
#17 ·
One thing to remember is that the UK is only giving one dose of the vaccine which of course allows the government to boast of having inoculated larger numbers in a short time. Spain has lower numbers because it has to organise a system to deliver it twice. The question is what will happen in UK if they find that by March the first set of extremely vulnerable persons start to lose immunity?. Britain could then actually find themselves in a horrific situation! The Tories are taking a huge gamble.
 
#19 ·
Until now most of the over80s in my area of West Sussex have been given both doses. Neighbour had first in December and second dose Jan 6th. Two weeks ago local health centres began vaccinating 75 yrs and over, they have been given appointments for second dose but it is longer than 3 weeks.
I am undecided about the delay in second dose. I suppose I would be happy to just get one initially on the basis anything is better than nothing and I have a date for the second one.
 
#18 ·
My understanding is that Spain currently has, or is receiving, more doses than it can administer, i.e. the bottleneck is is in the health authorities, not the supply chain.

This plays nicely into the hands of those who might argue that diverting some of that supply to the private sector could "help to aleviate" that bottle neck (and of course line afew pockets in the process).

But yes, maybe I am too cycnical and maybe Sanchez will insist that everybody has the vaccine through the SS, but the Madrdi elite who can and would pay privately may start making a big noise about that when they realise that this year's trip to the beach is in danger.
 
#22 ·
I think they are but decided to honour those who had appointments 3 weeks later. A friend who is 76 had the vaccine last week has been given an appointment for 6 weeks for second. Of course there is a lot of politicking, no shortage of those who want to knock UK. Time will tell. Some views here in the BMJ

 
#21 · (Edited)
Latest report:-


I saw an earlier report in El Pais which said that the fact that a lot of regions hadn't admnistered a significant proportion of the doses they'd had delivered to them was because in those regions they had taken the decision to hold onto enough doses to give the second jab to those who had already received the first. Whether that's true or not I don't know. That report is here:-

 
#28 ·
I think there is a bit of postcode a lottery going on - understandably - it's a massive undertaking.

We have two friends/family in their 70s who had their first vaccination a week ago yet the government is only today announcing appointment letters to under 80s.

I guess some places with excess doses are using them in different ways from others maybe.

The UK government might have got an awful lot wrong but they appear to have got the vaccination program right.
 
#30 ·
The experience in Israel does not seem to bode well for the strategy of leaving a much longer gap between first and second doses of the vaccine than that recommended by the manufacturers, even if it does enable a larger number of people to receive the first dose more quickly.

 
#31 ·
I totally agree. I feel as usual the UK decision was taken with an eye on the headlines. Boris wants to be the best at everything and this was seen as a way to garner good press. It looks impressive as did Israel and now it looks like an error and one that could endanger people even more. Already UK pensioners are booking their summer flights clearly believing they are in the clear but Spain might have different ideas and keep borders closed.
 
#37 ·
Not true - Spain has already had the first delivery and more were scheduled weekly (although not in huge quantities).

 
#36 ·
Incidentally Madrid hasn't exactly run out. They are simply suspending the program. They have vaccines but are keeping them for second doses.

The real problem appears to be that AstraZeneca cant keep up a huge production rate and might be favouring those whose contracts were negotiated at higher prices such as UK. It seems a reasonable/ stupid decision which will no doubt be sorted in the coming days but it is bad when it comes to a competition.
 
#40 ·
From what I've read AZ did everything to prevent a competition. Including setting up separate supply lines in each country to prevent countries from trying to divert each other's supplies. The reason the EU production is lower than the UK is because they were 3 months later in signing their contract, and are now 3 months behind in bring their production up to capacity. Also AZ aren't making a profit on this. Any price fluctuations are due to localised cost variations. i.e. AZ do not benefit from higher prices. You'd have thought this was something to be commended.
 
#38 ·
I read it in the Telegraph or Guardian this morning. Perhaps it just meant limited supplies. Also stated that the main problem was that the EU was swayed by France and Germany to put their faith in their countries drug companies. Now their vaccines have flopped Sanofi will begin bottling for the others.
Whatever it is a very unseemly row.
 
#39 ·
The AZ vaccine has a long production process (two months?) and one of the batches produced in Europe didn't work properly, so they can't meet their contractual obligation to supply the EU with a certain number of doses by 31 March. Brussels are demanding that they use supplies destined for the UK to make up the shortfall. According to a report in a German newspaper, Britain is paying seven times as much as the EU ... make of that what you will.
 
#43 ·
Don’t get all this wrangling, maybe to cover up the Commissions failure for the delay. They haven’t even passed the AZ one yet and have been doing their upmost to rubbish it for some weeks.
I have AZ shares Long before the virus and they have fallen recently, maybe due to their not for profit policy.
 
#45 ·
I agree that EU delayed agreement to haggle price down whereas the UK paid the full price so I admit that part of the problem is the EU. Whatever the case it makes sense to try and distribute based on models that will most effectively control worldwide the pandemic as opposed to countries. If the UK thinks that once its vaccinated then everyone can just pop over to France and Spain their annual holidays they might be a bit peeved to find that these countries remain closed to them.
 
#46 ·
I agree that EU delayed agreement to haggle price down whereas the UK paid the full price so I admit that part of the problem is the EU. Whatever the case it makes sense to try and distribute based on models that will most effectively control worldwide the pandemic as opposed to countries. If the UK thinks that once its vaccinated then everyone can just pop over to France and Spain their annual holidays they might be a bit peeved to find that these countries remain closed to them.
I think most people in the UK are already booking staycations for next summer, prices have gone through the roof, they seem to know the score. However at least it looks like they'll be largely free of covid by then, and no longer dying in large numbers. I wish I could say the same for the EU.
 
#51 ·
I remember saying that during lockdown I would rather be in Spain than UK as the lockdown was being applied to a stricter standard, and that was right.
But now I would rather be in the vaccine queue in the UK than here....
...also, from what I understand, 'lockdown' is now much more severe in the UK than in Spain - at least parts of Spain.

It seems to me that the UK has got its act together - albeit belatedly.
 
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