Updated COVID-19 vaccine.
- By early August, more than 24,000 confirmed cases had been reported in the country, indicating sustained transmission of the virus in the community.
- The updated COVID-19 vaccine is available free of charge nationwide.
- Find a practical guide to getting vaccinated here.
Colombia, 2024. In March, more than 1 million doses of updated XBB vaccines arrived in Colombia against the currently circulating variants of COVID-19, to deal with the still persistent number of infections. Although some control over the spread of the virus has been achieved, the number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths remains significant. Until the beginning of August, according to the National Institute of Health, more than 24 thousand confirmed cases and more than 240 deaths were recorded in the country, indicating sustained transmission of the virus in the community, more than four years after the appearance of the first case.
The rise in cases is due to factors such as people’s waning immunity to the virus and frequent mutations in the virus that create new variants that can spread more easily between people. Whether you’ve been vaccinated before or already had COVID-19, you need to get vaccinated now to protect yourself from these new variants. To that end, the updated vaccine available, Moderna’s XBB.1.5, is designed to provide specific protection against circulating variants.
In order to ensure the continuity of COVID-19 immunization processes, a practical guide with detailed recommendations for getting vaccinated in Colombia is presented here:
- Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is free
XBB.1.5 vaccines are available free of charge and access to them is independent of health affiliation, nationality or immigration status.
There are more than 3,800 vaccination points enabled
The vaccine can be accessed at more than 3,800 vaccination points in all departments of the country. You can check the enabled points here.
- You only need to bring your ID.
When it comes to getting vaccinated, it is not necessary to make an appointment.
- Human talent in health, those over 60 years of age, pregnant women and people with comorbidities are the priority population
If you are part of this group, getting vaccinated is a priority. In these populations, the dose should be administered if they have not received a COVID-19 vaccine in the last 6 months. In addition, if the person is 65 years of age or older, they should receive another additional dose after 6 months from the last dose.
Even if you are not part of the poblation prioritized, can access the vaccine
Although the specific risk groups mentioned above are prioritized, all people who wish to protect themselves can request the updated COVID-19 vaccine against the XBB 1.5 variant.
- Children should also be protected against COVID-19
Healthy children, starting at 6 months of age, must have their schedule up to date with the updated COVID vaccine.
«It is important to be aware that COVID-19 is still present among us and that it is a virus that does not only occur during the cold and rainy season, but is transmitted constantly throughout the year due to the emergence of new variants and the decrease in immunity. For this reason, we insist on the use of the updated XBB 1.5 vaccine.
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