Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei announced this Friday, March 11, during a tour in Totonicapán, that people could already take to vaccinate against the covid-19 to minors between the ages of 6 and 11, but the Ministry of Health assures that immunization is not yet authorized, although in Huehuetenango it has already begun.
The Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance reported this Friday that has enabled the vaccination record against him coronavirus for children from 6 to 11 years.
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Giammattei arrived in Santa Lucía La Reforma, Totonicapán, 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.
“Yes, we can tell you and tell you something, children from 6 to 11 years of age can now be vaccinated, there are already vaccines for them; there are vaccines for those from 12 years to the largest in the country,” said Giammattei.
“Let’s vaccinate that way we don’t get infected and if we get infected we don’t die. If what we appreciate is life, we have to get vaccinated and if we all get vaccinated one day we will be able to leave this – the mask – behind and we can go back to living seeing ourselves smile in the face”, commented the president.
Vaccinate in Huehuetenango
Before the president mentioned that vaccination was already open for children between 6 and 11 years of age in the country, in Huehuetenango the Health Area began to immunize boys and girls in that age range.
At around 9 a.m., the Department’s Health authorities, headed by the Director of the Health Area, Juan Francisco Robles, participated in a protocol act at the Cambridge College, in zone 8 of the departmental capital, where they immunized several children from 6 to 11 years.
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 municipalities of the department.
The first child vaccinated at the Cambridge School post was Ángelo Tomás Félix, 9 years old, who is in fourth grade. He queued for four hours last Thursday in search of a vaccine, since it had been announced that they would start immunizing that day and this Friday he waited another two hours to meet his goal.
The first girl to be immunized was Dana Martínez, from Cambridge School, who said she was very happy with the vaccine, since with that she could return to face-to-face classes.
The director of the Health Area of Huehuetenango, Juan Francisco Robles, affirmed that he received authorization from the Ministry of Health to proceed with the vaccination of children between 6 and 11 years of age and that he had the documents that supported it.
He added that minors are receiving Moderna vaccine, in a pediatric dose, which is half of that used in adults.
Vaccination is not authorized
Free Press and Guatevision They consulted the Ministry of Health about the start of vaccination in Huehuetenango, and authorities reported that the instruction issued again, this Friday, to all the directors of the Health areas is that they cannot start childhood vaccination, without having the technical guidelines elaborated. for the process and the corresponding Ministerial Agreement.
They commented that next Monday, March 14, there will be a press conference in which details of this vaccination process will be given.
They added that the director of the health area who started the vaccination did so without the authorization of his immediate boss.
According to the Health authorities, the corresponding deputy ministry evaluates the case and the actions to be taken, which could include a call for attention to any other that is considered appropriate.
The Minister of Health Francisco Coma offered this Thursday, March 10, an interview with Network, in which he announced that vaccination could start next week against him 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.
The minister said that between Thursday, March 10 and Friday, March 11, they could have a positive response regarding the use of the vaccine. Modern to apply to children under 12 years of age.
Coma said that if the experts give the go-ahead, vaccination for children 6 to 11 years old could start next Monday or Tuesday.
The official stated that the target group for vaccination is 2 million and they consider that they could reach 50% of this, so they would be talking about 1 million minors who could be receiving the dose against covid-19.
contradictions
Meanwhile, another source from the Ministry of Health assured that Tomorrow, Saturday, they will begin with the vaccination of children at a general level.
Another one also confirmed that since yesterday, Thursday, everything was socialized to that areas could start with immunization.
Army says it’s already started
The Guatemalan Army confirmed this Friday that its brigades have already begun vaccinating that age group in Huehuetenango.
“The Fifth Brigade in that department has already assigned more than 40 soldiers who are already supporting seven vaccination posts,” added the source.
The requirements, he said, are that the children be accompanied by their parents, that they carry a birth certificate and the adult must carry their identification document.
He added that in the capital some changes are being made in schedules to decide how the National Vaccination Plan will be carried out.
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