Category: COVID-19 / News / Insights

A total of 259,089 vaccinations against COVID-19 (29.4 doses per 100 inhabitants) have been carried out until April 27 in Cyprus, while the National Vaccination Plan against COVID-19 is progressing rapidly, based on the available quantities of the four licensed vaccines. According to data published by the ECDC, 193,882 (24.1%) vaccinations concern the administration of the 1st dose, and 65,207 (7.9%) vaccinations concern the administration of both doses.

After reviewing and evaluating the data arising from international studies on real vaccinations, as well as the recommendation in the Instructions for Use Leaflet of the AstraZeneca Vaccine, it was decided to reduce the period between the 1st and the 2nd dose of this vaccine from 12 to eight (8) weeks.

Aiming at the acceleration of the vaccination process and the vaccination coverage of a sufficient percentage of the population, the Ministry of Health has addressed the scientific companies of Personal Doctors, inviting them to express interest in vaccinating their beneficiaries at their medical centers.

Due to the need to accelerate the vaccination plan against COVID-19 in order to maximize the shielding of the population as soon as possible and also because, based on the data and experience from previous openings of the Vaccination Portal, on the 2nd day of the availability of appointments the response was minimal, it is announced that for the age group 49-50, the Portal will remain open today, April 21, until 8 pm, and not until April 22, at 8 pm as was initially announced.

It has been a year since the world drastically changed its recent history. The Covid-19 pandemic forced us to rethink our lifestyle and our health care. In this context, the World Health Organization (WHO) works with governments and laboratories worldwide to find a solution to this scourge.

EMA’s safety committee (PRAC) is meeting today, 31 March, in the context of its ongoing review of very rare cases of unusual blood clots associated with low numbers of platelets, in people vaccinated with AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine (now called Vaxzevria).

A year has passed since that sadly remembered March 9, 2020. That day was confirmed the first Covid-19 cases: a 64-year-old doctor from Nicosia, who had returned from a convention in England; and a 25-year-old man from Limassol, who had returned to our country after passing through Italy.

To avoid deterioration of the epidemiological situation in the country and to proceed to the next phases of the strategy for the gradual lifting of restrictions with caution and safety, cooperation and vigilance of the whole of society are needed. To prevent the reintroduction of restrictions and to maintain the epidemiological picture at manageable levels, the following measures that are in force until 31 March are recalled:

According to the data published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Cyprus ranks 1st among the EU states in terms of conducting tests. With 35,947 tests per 100,000 population, Cyprus continues to utilize the practice of targeted testing in the community, thus strengthening its policy of continuous surveillance of the epidemiological picture in the country.

Following the current scientific opinion of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which clarifies that, after a thorough investigation, there is no link between the AstraZeneca vaccine and the thromboembolic incidents reported by EU countries, and that the vaccine is considered safe and effective, the Ministry of Health informs the public that as of Friday, March 19, 2021, vaccinations with the AstraZeneca vaccine will resume.

Pending the opinion of the European Medicines Agency’s Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC), which is investigating a number of cases of blood clots in people who had received the AstraZeneca vaccine in EU countries, it was decided on 15/3/2021 to temporarily postpone vaccinations in Cyprus with the AstraZeneca vaccine until Thursday, 18 March.

The first case of Covid-19 in Cyprus was confirmed on March 9, 2020. Since then, and until February 13, 2021, there have been 32,390 confirmed cases, with 220 deaths, according to Cyprus's government’s data. Notably, these include cases in the British Overseas Territory of Akrotiri and Dhekelia.