This Monday, January 10, 2021, authorities of the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance offered a press conference in which they gave details and statistics on the situation of the coronavirus in Guatemala, among these of vaccination in the country.
The National Vaccination Plan against the coronavirus advances in Guatemala and although the statistics of the Ministry of Health reveal that to date the percentage of the population under 18 years vaccinated with the first dose is 34.66% and with the second dose 18.22% and that 55.8% of the population over 18 years of age has been covered in the first dose and 42.16% in the second dose. There are still municipalities in Guatemala with very low coverage.
–
The data reveal that the population under 18 years of age (12 to 17 years old) has so far been administered a total of 1 million 121 thousand 737 doses of vaccines against covid-19, out of the target population of 2 million 121 thousand 284.
While vaccination coverage in the population over 18 years of age is 10 million 322 thousand 368 total doses, out of the goal of 10 million 529 thousand 192.
Population at risk
Virginia Herzig, coordinator of the Risk Management Unit of the Ministry of Health reported that the presence of the omicron variant in the country is expected to see a significant and considerable increase in the number of cases starting this week and with a possible peak in the month of February.
He explained that the population with the highest risk of being moderately and severely infected are people who are currently not vaccinated, not even with the first dose against covid-19.
He referred that according to the Covid-19 Dashboard, 53% of the population 12 years and older, more than 6 million people, have not even received the first dose of vaccine.
Also read: “It is not a mild flu”: These are the symptoms to identify and what causes omicron
He said that these people are at high risk because they can be infected with the disease and present serious symptoms that will require hospitalization.
Herzig added that of that percentage, at least 15 municipalities do not meet even 20% of vaccination coverage with the first dose.
Among the municipalities, the one of Concepción, Sololá stood out, which does not reach 5% vaccination coverage.
“As you know, there are many factors that determine this low coverage, among them and one of the strongest is the rejection that the population has expressed to get the vaccine to protect themselves. Although it is true, and as we have repeated on many occasions, the vaccine does not prevent me from getting infected and it does not prevent me from infecting other people, it does prevent the severity of the disease and require a hospital bed to begin my recovery process Which by the way is quite lengthy, ”Herzig said.
Municipalities with less vaccination coverage
According to Health data, the 15 municipalities with the least vaccination coverage in the country are:
| Municipality | Department | Vaccination coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Conception | Only the | 4.6% |
| Santa Barbara | Huehuetenango | 9.1% |
| The Blind | Izabal | 12.6% |
| San Mateo Ixtatán | Huehuetenango | 14.2% |
| San Ildefonso Ixtahuacán | Huehuetenango | 14.2% |
| Chisec | Alta Verapaz | 14.4% |
| San Bartolomé Jocotenango | Quiche | 14.6% |
| Santa Lucia La Reforma | Totonicapán | 15% |
| Santa Cruz Barillas | Huehuetenango | 15.3% |
| San Rafael Petzal | Huehuetenango | 15.9% |
| Fray Bartolomé de las Casas | Alta Verapaz | 16.4% |
| Raxruhá | Alta Verapaz | 17% |
| Nahualá | Only the | 17.4% |
| Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan | Only the | 17.4% |
| Cuilco | Huehuetenango | 17.8% |
Called to get vaccinated
The Minister of Health, Francisco Coma, said at the conference that the omicron variant, although it has clinical manifestations that appear to be milder, is still coronavirus, and that people without vaccination are the people who are entering the country’s hospitals.
He said that of the total admissions they reviewed in January, 85% corresponds to patients who did not have a single dose of vaccine and they are the ones with the highest levels of risk.
Also read: Antigen tests may not detect omicron infections
“I want to make an appeal to the population: please in the environment we all know or know people who have not wanted to be vaccinated and we also know what causes the rejection of the vaccine. Many of these factors have to do with ideas that are not attached to reality, many people do not get vaccinated for fear of dying from the vaccine, other people do not get vaccinated for fear that the vaccine will leave them infertile and we would like to please us to transmit the vaccine. message that what the vaccine does is save lives, “said Coma.
Age of most contagions
Coma added that according to statistics, it has been detected that the largest number of people who have tested positive in these weeks are those in the age range of 20 to 29 years, which correspond to 28% of all positive cases. This range is followed by that of people aged 30 to 39 years with 24%.
According to the minister, according to social observations, it has been determined that these two age ranges are the ones with the highest level of relaxation in Guatemala’s biosafety measures.
He recalled that in December the percentage of positivity was approximately 2%, but that currently the positivity in the country is 14%, but that in some departments it has reached 20%.
–
