According to Itzel de Hewitt, general coordinator of the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), the nation included the first booster dose of the hexavalent acellular vaccine in children under 18 months of age and the second booster of the tetravalent acellular vaccine at 4 years of age.

The hexavalent is a combined vaccine that, in a single dose, protects against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, poliomyelitis, hepatitis B and invasive type B influenza diseases, De Hewitt added.

In an EPI communique, the official also stated that Panama administers a scheme of vaccine that protects against 30 immuno-preventable diseases such as tuberculosis, diphtheria, polio, pneumococcus, influenza, chickenpox, measles, mumps and is composed of 25 vaccines in total.

She considered that having more effective immunization programs and also investing in more modern vaccines offer better protection for the population and generate savings for the State, as it reduces the burden on the health systems, already saturated after Covid-19.

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