Despite the fact that President Alejandro Giammattei announced that children between 6 and 11 years of age would begin to be vaccinated against Covid-19, in the vaccination centers set up in the city and other places in the national territory, the doses were not administered, arguing that the agreement that guarantees immunization has not been published.
Giammattei arrived in Santa Lucía La Reforma, Totonicapán, on Friday to inaugurate the construction of the water system in Paraje Paxán, Gualtux Canton, and during his speech he told the attendees that they could now vaccinate children in that age range.
–
However, the authorities of the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance issued instructions to all the directors of the Health areas, that they cannot start childhood vaccination, without having the technical guidelines elaborated for the process and the corresponding Ministerial Agreement.
According to the spokeswoman for the health portfolio, Susana Roca reported that “next Monday” the publication of the agreement is scheduled, which will allow vaccination in children aged 6 to 11 years.
Vaccination centers empty and without attention to children
The team of Free Press carried out a tour of the vaccination posts set up in the Plaza de la Constitución and in the Honor Guard, in which there was little influx of both adults and minors, which could derive from confusion and little information by part of the authorities in this regard, according to health personnel in the centers.
The empty chairs was the panorama that was recorded this weekend in the immunization centers. The discrepant announcements of the authorities of the Ministry of Health regarding the beginning of the vaccination of children, have had an adverse effect on the operation of these centers.
The delegates of the posts have reported that in recent weeks the influx of people has been low.
Regarding the application of doses for minors, some Health employees stated that they still do not have orders to care for children and perhaps as of Monday a new guideline will be issued.
It is necessary
For Dr. Iris Cazali, infectious disease specialist at Roosevelt Hospital, she says that vaccinating children between 5 and 11 years of age is “a good strategy, even though they are not at risk of severe disease, but by protecting them, the population is protected,” she said. .
Cazali recalled that Europe has already authorized the Moderna vaccine for infants of that age range “with half the adult dose, a good amount of defenses is generated for children.”
The pediatric pulmonologist Édgar Beltetón shared “it is positive to vaccinate this population group, because the group most affected by infections is in minors” being this a disease that is still unknown “the neurological deterioration, cardiac and pancreatic injury are unknown” could have minors infected with Covid-19.
Beltetón recalls that the Pfizer vaccine is the one authorized for this age group and the Moderna vaccine is currently in its phase II study, so “it has not yet been authorized for children between 5 and 11 years of age,” he indicated.
More than 800 minors
According to the spokesman for the Guatemalan Army, Rubén Téllez, immunization for infants from 6 to 11 years old “is about to start.” However, yesterday in the department of Huehuetenango the vaccine was administered to “more than 800 minors who attended with their parents,” said Téllez.
In the capital of Huehuetenango there are 8 vaccination posts and in the other 32 municipalities there is 1 center in each place, so it is estimated that the immunization process was opened in the 40 centers of the department.
The spokesman for the armed institution added that in terms of the capital city and the rest of the departments, they are waiting for the Ministerial Agreement to be issued by the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance, which will allow children to be immunized and girls from 6 to 11 years old. However, registration on the website of the health portfolio has already been enabled for that age group.
Huehuetenango is the only department where minors between the ages of 6 and 11 are being vaccinated, as local health authorities assure that they already have permission from the portfolio to immunize, although the ministerial authorities deny this and affirm that in that department is vaccinating without authorization.
As reported, in Huehuetenango the vaccination continued this day, the local authorities affirm that they will not suspend it and that in fact the campaign they are carrying out will last about 15 days.
The Minister of Health Francisco Coma last Thursday, March 10, in an interview with Network, announced that vaccination against the coronavirus to children aged 6 to 11 years, but this depends on the opinion of a group of national experts that evaluates the approval that the Moderna vaccine obtained in Europe and Australia to be applied to that population.
–
