The Spanish soccer team will be vaccinated before the Eurocup begins. The Ministry of Health has authorized that the players summoned by Luis Enrique Martínez for the continental championship, as well as the members of the parallel bubble, be inoculated in the coming days.
In principle, they were going to be given Janssen’s, as it was a single-dose vaccine and due to the proximity of the appointment. However, it is not recommended for the age range of the players themselves, so the Pfizer vaccine will be chosen, which means that they do not acquire immunity until the final.
In the next few hours, the 39 players who are preparing for Euro 2020 would receive the first dose of the vaccine. Various studies calculate that, with it, 96% begin to generate antibodies, although immunity is acquired after 12 days and is effective at 52%. It would reach 95% two weeks after the second injection, which would be given 21 days after the first.
Is, at the earliest, the players in Spain begin them to be effective the vaccine from June 22, a day before facing Slovakia. They would not wear the second until July 1, at the earliest, so, until the final, which will be played on July 11 at Wembley, they would not reach that 95% immunity to the coronavirus.
In the case of the National Team players, the Janssen vaccine would be more effective, allowing them to be immune sooner. With it, they would be immune to the coronavirus for the dispute of the round of 16, which begins on June 26, once the group stage is over. However, due to the age range of the members of the expedition, it seems to be ruled out.
A late decision
Luis Rubiales has declared that he has been insisting for several months that footballers be vaccinated before the European Championship, with the aim of avoiding what has happened. The positive of Sergio Busquets, which has been added by Diego Llorente , puts the group of players selected by Luis Enrique at risk at first. The chances of more cases are very high, which puts in doubt the debut of the team next Monday and the players who will be in the game against Sweden.
Now, the Government has decided to give in to the RFEF’s request and agree to vaccinate the expedition. After the request of the Minister of Culture and Sports, Health has given the green light to the vaccination of the Spanish team, as happened with the members of the Olympic team. It will be the Army who is in charge of attending the concentration that takes place in the Ciudad del Fútbol to supply the vaccines to the members of the expedition, both players and coaching staff, so as not to affect the vaccination plan of the Community of Madrid.
However, the decision to vaccinate comes more than late. Although in the end it was agreed that the National Team be vaccinated before the Euro 2020 begins, immunity will not arrive in time. The championship begins next Friday and will last exactly one month, insufficient time for the members of the Spanish expedition to have time to be immune.
Criticisms of the Community of Madrid
With the authorization to vaccinate the internationals, the controversy was served. There are many who see as a privilege the fact that those chosen by Luis Enrique are going to receive the vaccine, skipping the established protocols, since by age it does not yet correspond to them. On the contrary, there are others who consider that, when representing Spain, they should be vaccinated before the championship begins. It is in this position that Minister Uribes has remained, which contrasts with that of the Community of Madrid .
Enrique Ruiz Escudero , Minister of Health – still in office – has declared that “it makes no sense” to vaccinate the players of the Spanish team for the European Championship. The approval in the last hours by Minister Darias to give priority to the 41 footballers who could be in this European Championship has been widely criticized by one of the strongest men in the Díaz Ayuso government: «From a clinical point of view, I don’t know if it makes sense. And even more so when we have made proposals to contemplate having vaccinated some chronic patients, which we understood was a higher priority ”.
