In the midst of an unprecedented health emergency situation, Dr. Óscar Atienza, an expert in Medicine and Surgery, as well as in Health Services Administration and Public Health, gave an interview to Radio Salta about the alarming situation faced by the province of Córdoba in the face of the massive dengue outbreak. In that context he spoke out in favor of the vaccine.
With worrying candor, Dr. Atienza shared disturbing details about the collapse of both the public and private health systems in the province. In his words, hospitals are overwhelmed, with delays of at least eight hours for care, and virtual care was even implemented as an emergency measure.
“Virtual attention by telephone, that is already common at this time,” said Atienza. “The truth is that the approach so far has been null. Practically nothing was done,” he added with concern.
The Córdoban specialist highlighted that the problem has been exacerbated in recent weeks, with collapsed hospitals and late measures to address the crisis. Despite this, some measures began to be taken, such as the extension of opening hours and the opening of primary health care centers to alleviate the burden on hospitals.
However, the most alarming aspect is the lack of action in preventing the outbreak. The doctor pointed out that fumigation work is not being carried out nor is the mosquito that transmits dengue fever being effectively combated. He even mentioned that the application of the dengue vaccine is not being considered as part of the control strategy.
Regarding the figures, Atienza reported that until eight days ago the province had registered 31,000 cases of dengue and 30 deaths. However, he estimated that these figures could have increased significantly since then. The age group most affected by deaths is between 20 and 50 years old, similar to Salta.
Regarding the dengue vaccine, Dr. Atienza defended its effectiveness, pointing out that it is approved by Anmat and covers several variants of the virus, with 100% effectiveness for severe cases of the most prevalent variant in the country. However, he expressed concern about the doubts raised about the vaccine, attributing this to ideological and economic reasons.
“The vaccine has been on the market for more than 10 years. It is totally effective, efficient. It covers, for example, to give you an idea, the four variants,” he assured.
Regarding the fumigation strategy, Atienza stressed the need for a broader and sustained intervention over time, such as dividing the city into sectors and carrying out multiple fumigation cycles to contain the advance of the transmitting mosquito.
2024-04-04 04:38:00
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