Minister of Health highlights Vaccination Plan one year after its implementation

From Barichara (Santander), the Minister of Health, Fernando Ruiz, led the Unified Command Post (PMU) against covid-19. During his intervention, the official recalled that a year ago (February 17, 2021), The vaccination plan began in Colombia. “The meaning of my words is one of deep gratitude, to all the people who have worked in this process and for all the effort made and the long hours of work that we have had to accomplish.”

Last Thursday, the minister spoke about the National Vaccination Plan and assured that “it has been the most extensive massive public health strategy that has been carried out in the country during the past 20 years. It is probably one of the most equitable and effective social policies that have been applied in the country throughout the entire social policy”.

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The latest report from the Ministry of Health, dated February 18, 2022, on the total number of Colombians vaccinated, reports that a total of 26,946,872 people received both doses, while 6,044,478 have been immunized with a single dose. Equally, 7,547,291 booster doses have been applied.

Although the head of the health portfolio recognized the work of the people behind the processes of purchasing, stockpiling, distributing and applying the vaccines, he acknowledged that there is still a long way to go, “We have not finished, we will continue forward and we are achieving it”, he expressed during the PMU held on Saturday, February 19.

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According to Minister Ruiz, efforts are now being concentrated to ensure that there is a growth in the numbers of people who receive the first dose of the vaccine, as well as to continue massively vaccinating boys and girls. “It is the biggest public health challenge in the republican history of Colombia and we are going to leave our skin here. We have done everything to achieve it.”

Another point that Ruiz touched on in his speech at the PMU is about the loss of vaccines in the country, which according to reports from the Comptroller estimates that at least 25,391 vaccines against covid-19 have been lost in 2021, mainly for not complying with the cold chain or for combining biologicals, with minors being the main affected by the latter.

“Colombia has been below 0.01%, there are very few doses that have been lost,” were the words in his defense. And he also assured that they have ensured the replacement of the total vaccine losses for 2021. “We are going to close vaccination in Colombia with zero losses. That should give us all peace of mind in the face of risks and difficulties in territories,” she asserted.

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At the end of the session, the minister once again emphasized his happiness on the anniversary of the vaccination plan, “It is a day of gratitude, happiness and joy for achieving what many people said could not be done. Today we have shown to those who said that it could only be done until 2023, that we have achieved it, here we are and we have achieved it”, said the head of the Health portfolio, indicating that the National Vaccination Plan is characterized by equity, being clear that the vaccine has reached all Colombians without any distinction .

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