The undersecretary of public health of Antioquia, Natalia Montoya Palacio, has provided some encouraging data for those vaccinated with the first and second dose against covid-19. To date there is 90% of the population who are vaccinated with the first dose and 77% who already have the second dose of organic.
“Antioquia managed to advance in the complete schemes, which are the ones that should really interest us”, Montoya Palacio said.
However, As for vaccine boosters, the results have not been so positive: “There have been difficulties with booster shots because people relax after receiving the first doses.” And this is reflected in the figures: only 46% of the population is vaccinated with the third dose and 12% with the fourth dose.
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These figures show that there are many people who have not had access to booster shots: the populations that have been vaccinated the least with booster shots are the elderly and children. The fact that the entire population is not vaccinated affects the spikes in respiratory infections and the increase in covid-19 cases that have occurred in the Antioquia territory.
“In the first week of December there was a report of 75 cases and through the week of December 12, reported 1,300 positive cases of covid-19”. ICU occupations and deaths have also increased, according to Undersecretary Montoya Palacio.
While this landscape influences the increase in cases, there are other factors influencing how the rainy season and the December holidays, as people come together to share with friends and family.
The invitation of the Secretariat is that if you are one of the people who are still missing one of the first doses or any of the reinforcements, encourage yourself to wear it to take care of yourself and others both during this holiday season and in 2023 .
“We must complete the covid-19 vaccination program and protect our families at this time when we want to be together. Right now there are biologics available in the IPS to complement the scheme,” said Blanca Restrepo Velásquez, coordinator of the Expanded Immunization Program (PAI) in Antioquia.
“To One’s Vaccine”
To promote vaccination in the department, the Sectional Secretariat of Health and Social Protection of Antioquia has implemented several strategies aimed at strengthening, motivating and encouraging in the 125 municipalities of the department effective vaccination and you can do it in any municipal hospital. In this way, it seeks to increase vaccination rates (mainly reinforcements) and achieve the objectives set by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection.
The Ministry of Health promotes the initiative”At the vaccine of one which, together with a shock plan and communication strategies, aims to strengthen vaccination and achieve coverage in the regular vaccination regimen and in the covid-19 regimen.
In this regard, Blanca Restrepo Velásquez, coordinator of the Expanded Immunization Program (PAI) – Antioquia reminds us of the schedules and vaccines of the regular schedule:
-For children aged 3 to 5 years, Sinovac is applied.
-For those aged 6 to 11, Sinovac and Moderna apply.
-For young people between 12 and 17 there are Pfizer, Moderna and Sinovac.
-For people over the age of 18, any of the available organic products can be applied.
These vaccines are available in IPSs and in all municipal hospital centers, according to the Ministry of Health. Sometimes these biologics also expire because no one is using them.
“There is a need for greater awareness of vaccination. There were better results when the full vaccination card was requested in restaurants, many people went to get vaccinated and now that they don’t ask for it anywhere, they feel that it is not needed, but it is ”, says the undersecretary.
Not only vaccination against covid-19 is important
Although vaccination against covid-19 is currently urgent due to the post-pandemic context, EPI coordinator Blanca Restrepo Velásquez explains that there are other diseases in the department that some populations need to take care of and that are also available in health centers. Health.
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For example, he says, all newborns must be vaccinated against hepatitis B and tuberculosis, children of 2, 4, 6, 7, 12, 18 months and 5 years require Pentavalent, Triple virus, Antipolio, Rotavirus, Pneumococcus and DPT (against diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus). Girls ages 9 to 17 can prevent cervical cancer by getting vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV).
In addition, children between the ages of 1 and 11 must receive the yellow fever vaccine, those born between 2010 and 2019 require an additional dose of measles and rubella and starting at age 10, girls should be vaccinated against diphtheria and tetanus (DT).
