Government authorized the fourth dose of the vaccine against covid-19 for people over 50 years of age in Colombia

From the Center for Treatment and Research on Cancer, in Bogotá, President Iván Duque, accompanied by the Minister of Health, Fernando Ruiz, announced that, as of today, Colombians over 50 years of age will be able to receive their second booster dose or fourth vaccine against covid-19.

The national president reported that, after holding a meeting with the Vaccine Committee, the decision was made to approve that second booster dose, which was “will apply four months after the first booster dose.”

As explained by President Duque, the biologicals that will be used for the application of this fourth vaccine against covid will be those of American companies. Pfizer and Moderna.

“We also want to indicate that, in the specific case of Moderna, according to the analysis of the experts, the equivalent of half a dose will be applied to be able to fulfill the entire scientific immunization project that the health authorities have drawn up,” said the president.

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For his part, the Minister of Health delivered a balance on the progress of the National Vaccination Plan against covid-19 in the country because, as reported, this Friday, May 6, the national government met its goal of having 70% of the Colombian population immunized with two doses of the biological agent against the disease.

According to the official, to date, the population of people aged 3 or over in Colombia totals 48,715,566 people, of which, 42,411,507 have received their first dose of the covid vaccinewhile 35,763,941 already have two doseswhich is equivalent to 70.1% of Colombians.

“This is a very important milestone because we had raised it from the beginning of the National Vaccination Plan, but we have also said that it is very important to maintain immunity, and for that the decision of a first booster for people over 12 years of age has been made, and from which we invite almost 13 million people who have yet to be vaccinated to come to receive their third dose or first booster”, said the head of the Health portfolio.

Next, Minister Ruiz indicated that the fourth dose for the population over 50 years of age will cover 12,595,905 people throughout the countryfor which he reiterated President Duque’s call to Colombians so that, once four months have elapsed since the first booster dose (or third vaccine), they come to inject this last dose.

“Which helps us at this time, especially, to increase and maintain immunity levels at a time when the country has a very significant recovery from the pandemic, and has a very low number of infections”concluded the head of the Health portfolio.

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It should be remembered that the announcement comes after the Vice Minister of Public Health and Provision of Services, Germán Escobar Morales, indicated in the morning hours of this Friday that, To date, Colombia reports “a flattened behavior in covid-19 cases.”

“Each death counts, of course, but the figures have shown that there is low community transmission behavior,” said the vice minister from the Unified Command Post Covid-19 Attention held in Bogotá.

In this sense, the official called on Colombians to maintain the “vaccination effort” because he indicated that there is still the possibility that “new variants (of covid-19) against which we must be protected”.

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