“Director Reports Low Vaccination Rates in Border Area Despite Campaign to Inoculate Over 1 Million People”

The director of Immunopreventable by Vaccines, Aida Lucia (Luchy) Vargasreported this Wednesday that, after a week of having launched in Jimaní the Campaign of Vaccination of the Americas, only 500 children have been inoculated in the border area.

Vargas attributed the low figure to the fact that they are still coordinating with educational centers in the area, so that, with the consent of the parents, the children complete their vaccination.

The purpose of the campaign, with which it plans to inoculate 1,296,861 people of different agesis to reduce the gap, especially in diseases such as diphtheriaand cover, in addition to children, agricultural workers and personnel working in construction.

Vargas indicated that during the Week of Vaccination of the Americas in 2022, coverage above 98 percent was achieved by vaccinating against measles, rubella and mumps about 934,329 children from 1 to 5 years of age.

Regarding the general vaccination schedule, the The Dominican Republic exhibits coverage above 85% in all diseases for which free coverage is offered.

The doctor said that in 2022 the vaccination rate increased 5% compared to the previous year, going from 103% to 109% in BCG vaccine (against tuberculosis); vaccinations in newborns from 66% to 71%; rotavirus from 81% to 86%; pneumococcus with coverage that went from 85% to 90%; poliowhich rose from 83% to 88%, and pentavalent (which prevents diphtheriawhooping cough, tetanus, influenza type B and hepatitis B, and applies to two, four and six months) rose from 84% to 88%.

In the particular case of the vaccine against the human papillomavirus (HPV), the increase in coverage was 35% and for influenza the 93.3% of the proposed goal was reached.

The vaccine specialist said that, during the first quarter of the year, the BCG vaccine presents coverage above 100%; the BOPV against the polio, 91.2%; the pentavalent presents coverage of 92.7 %, and the SRP (measlesrubella and mumps), which is applied at 18 months, reached coverage above 98%, evidencing good follow-up to the treatment schemes. vaccination.

Vargas recalled that the country has 1,421 fixed vaccination posts, with 17 biological ones available to prevent 19 diseases.

To date, the country has placed 53,205 vaccinations against cholera.

Achievements

Dr. Vargas listed some achievements related to the strengthening of vaccine-preventable vaccines in the country, among which she cited the already notable progressive increase in coverage by more than 5%.

He also stressed that the country remains free of measles, rubella and polioreaching a goal of vaccination in 2022 of 98% and 99% respectively.

Similarly, the country remains free of neonatal tetanus.

Finally, he pointed out that the cold chain has been strengthened at the national level with the incorporation of refrigerated trucks for better distribution of vaccines.