Dili, February 12^th, 2021 – His Excellency the Prime Minister, Taur Matan Ruak, welcomed in the audience, this Friday, at Government Palace, Dili,  the Representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Timor-Leste, Dr. Arvind Mathur, for a detailed briefing on vaccination modalities, whether or not the AstraZeneca vaccine, recommended by the WHO, is appropriate for Timor-Leste.

At this hearing, WHO representative, Dr. Arvind Mathur, explained in detail to the Head of the Government the effectiveness of the AstraZeneca vaccine and the reason why WHO recommended that Timor Leste use this vaccine.

After hearing the detailed explanation on the AstraZeneca vaccine, the Head of Government thanked him, because this information, including the documents provided by WHO, will assist the Government in making decisions regarding this vaccine, according to Timor Leste’s conditions.

Meanwhile, at the meeting of the Council of Ministers, on Wednesday, no decisions have yet been made on the type of vaccine to be used in Timor Leste, because the Government intends to have more detailed information from the World Health Organization, particularly on the AstraZeneca vaccine, recommended by WHO for use in Timor-Leste.

About the AstraZeneca Vaccine:

According to the results obtained by the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, this vaccine is 90% effective.

This vaccine, like the Pfizer e Moderna vaccines, has the injection modality and must be applied in two doses, with an interval of, at least, one month.

Based on the test results, the effectiveness of the vaccine varies, depending on the dose’s size. In patients who received two complete injections, effectiveness was 62%, while in patients who received half the dose in the first injection and the total dose in the second, effectiveness increased to 90%. By combining these two methods, the vaccine will result in effectiveness of approximately 70%.

The AstraZeneca vaccine can be stored in a refrigerator up to six months, at normal temperatures (2º to 8º degrees Celsius), unlike the Pfizer vaccine, which must be stored at minus 70º Celsius, and the Moderna vaccine that has to be stored at a temperature of minus 20º Celsius, so that it can last up to 6 months.

AstraZeneca vaccine has been laboratory tested and has been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the WHO also recommends its use in all countries of the world.

According to SAGE – Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization, this vaccine can be used by all people over 18, worldwide, including South Afrika, where a new variant of the virus has emerged, which raised concerns about the effectiveness of the AstraZeneca vaccine. END/PMO-M