:format(jpeg):focal(1895x935:1905x925)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gfrmedia/YUUDT2WVT5AUBIOQ5BXRG2NTHU.jpg "More than half a million people in Puerto Rico do not have the reinforcement of the COVID-19 vaccine")
More than half a million people in Puerto Rico have not yet received the vaccine booster against the COVID-19at a time when virus transmission on the island is high and growing every day, according to statistics.
According to the COVID-19 Vaccine Report in Puerto Rico, as of April 13, 749,438 had received the primary series of this vaccine, which implies the first two doses, but not its reinforcement.
According to the Department of Health, the positivity of COVID-19 on the island was today at 3:00 pm at 19.1%, while the Report of Monitoring of COVID-19 in Puerto Rico estimated positivity at 18.2%.
“The groups that have been infected the most, from March 31 to April 13, have been those from 20 to 29 years old (15%), those from 30 to 39 (14.26%), 40 to 49 (11.26%) and 10 to 19 (10.67%),” reported Lilliam Rodríguez, president of the VOCES Vaccination Coalition.
According to Rodríguez, the danger is that, in the last rebound of the virus that crossed the island, infections were also concentrated in these ages, but later spread to older adults, who are at greater risk of complications and death from this disease.
Rodríguez insisted on the importance of the population responding to the reinforcement of this vaccine. In both Puerto Rico and the United States, a person is considered “fully vaccinated” with only the first two doses of the vaccine. However, studies have shown that the effectiveness and protection provided by this product is reduced after five months, for which the booster is recommended.
There are two boosters already approved by the federal government, which involves the third and fourth doses. The third dose or first booster is approved for ages 12 and older and the fourth dose or second booster for ages 50 and older and in immunocompromised patients 12 years of age and older.
“Three weeks ago we started with the fourth dose or second booster and the clinics (of VOCES) in shopping centers have been moving more, especially older adults, 60 or older,” Rodríguez said.
From 800 to 1,200 vaccines they were administering a week, since the second booster was approved they have been giving between 4,000 and 5,000 weekly, he said.
Vaccines against COVID-19 do not completely prevent a person from becoming infected, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that they reduce the risk of contracting and spreading the virus, as well as helping to prevent serious illness or death. .
According to Health, the mortality rate of COVID-19 among vaccinated is 0.57 per 100,000 vaccinated, while among unvaccinated it is 2.11 per 100,000.
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