With the beginning of the summer season, many people will take their holidays outside our country; Having the complete vaccination schedule is essential to take care of travellers’ health.
With the recent increase in cases of respiratory symptoms in the country and the start of the summer season, the recommendation to complete vaccination doses, mainly against COVID-19, is being extended.
Dr. Héctor Castro, director of the Expanded Immunization Program (PAI) stressed that “we are in a moment of social encounter, which makes us loosen some preventive measures or even not maintain the rest that we must maintain if we are studying a respiratory condition and this situation increases the number of infections”.
It should be remembered that the latest epidemiological update detailed that there are more than 2,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, of which 60% belong to reinfected people. There were 130 hospitalized for respiratory symptoms and 11 people admitted to intensive care units.
“What we are seeing in the tables for COVID-19 is that two elements coincide: they are elderly people or people with underlying diseases, and they do not have full vaccinations or are not vaccinated. The difference with what we already live with is that, having immunity or protection with vaccines, serious cases are very unlikely and very rare,” added Dr. Héctor Castro.
The director of the Expanded Immunization Program took advantage of the opportunity to urge citizens to complete their vaccination program: “the minimum interval between booster doses continues to be four months. You must complete the pattern as soon as possible. Time doesn’t count, the important thing is to finish.”
For citizens wishing to travel abroad during the summer season, the recommendations of the PAI director are to maintain the electronic vaccination certificate and always have the physical copy at hand, beyond the fact that the countries with the most frequent travelers do not require it as a requirement. Also, it is essential to complete the vaccination calendar two weeks before starting the trip.
Please note that the yellow fever vaccine is applied only once and the vaccination certificate is mandatory to travel to the most popular destinations for travellers.
