Plans to vaccinate more than a half a million new-born babies put on hold because officials aren't ready

Caracas Daily Journal (Jeremy Morgan): Plans to vaccinate more than a half a million new-born babies against a bacterium that can prove deadly to little ones have been put on hold because officials aren't ready, it emerged at a immunology workshop this week.

"Sooner or later this vaccine will be introduced but we need to organize it a little," said Hector Sarmiento, national director of immunization at the Health Ministry, as reported by the newspaper, Ultimas Noticias, on Friday. "I don't want to be responsible for the bad introduction of a vaccine."

The bug in question, streptoccus pneumoniae, causes pneumonia, meningitis and blood infections along other threats to life, particularly among children aged five years or less and the newly-born in paricular.

The original intention was to get the vaccination program under way around the middle of this year, but officials' agendas are full of meetings in July, when they'll still be discussing implementation of the plan. Apparently, the start-up isn't expected to happen for at least six more months.