The vaccination against COVID-19 to the fifth and last of the priority groups will officially start this Friday, July 16, as agreed unanimously by the National Vaccination and Epidemiology Commission (CNVE).
The decision was announced in advance by the media The Observer and confirmed minutes later by the press office of the Ministry of Health.
The decision was communicated by Roberto Arroba Tijerino, Coordinator of Immunizations of the Ministry of Health, through the official letter MS-CNVE-0582-2021 sent to the doctor Priscilla Herrera Garcia, General Director of the Ministry of Health.
With the start of vaccination in group 5, immunization will migrate from prioritization by risk factors to prioritization by age groups, starting with people over 40 years of age who have not received their first dose of vaccine. In the case of people under 40 years of age belonging to groups 3 and 4 who have not received the first dose, they can approach their area of assignment to request their immunization.
“The Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS) will maintain the vaccination process in all its care centers, at this stage the vaccine will also be available in some CCSS hospitals. It is important to note that in the same place where the first dose is applied, the second will be applied“said the Ministry of Health.
The authorities affirmed that the health areas carry out all the preparations for the logistics involved in this vaccination effort, which seeks protect as many people as possible in the shortest time possible, and that those over 40 must follow the indications of their center, in order to bring the respective order in the lines and not saturate the services.
The decision of the Vaccination Commission is given when the country is waiting to receive 500,000 doses of Pfizer brand vaccines, donated by the United States and that they will be entering Costa Rica tonight. Salud stated that for the most part, This donation will be used to immunize the population aged 40 to 57 with the first dose, which today represents one of the groups that most require hospitalization for COVID-19.
“With this group advanced, each health area, according to its progress, would be communicating new age blocks endorsed for immunization. The population is called upon to maintain prevention measures, such as frequent hand washing with soap and water, physical distancing and the use of a mask, even in people already vaccinated “added the Ministry.
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