Vaccines against hepatitis A, chicken pox, hexavalent, pneumococcus 23 Valente and the vaccine against the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), will be available at health centers.
By Abigail Parada
Jul 20, 2023- 09:19
In the new national vaccination scheme presented by the Ministry of Healthimmunizations against the hepatitis A and chickenpox; In addition, the hexavalent vaccine, pneumococcus 23 Valente, and the vaccine against the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) are maintained.which will now also be applied to children.
The Minister of Health, Francisco Alabi, announced this morning through a morning interview broadcast on Channel 10 that “with this vaccination scheme, which few countries in America have the capacity to offer that to their population,” arguing that “children and older adults will be able to have equitable access to different vaccines for free.”
With these biologicals, the new national vaccination scheme would be compared internationally with countries like Canada, according to the official, the same brands, quality and doses that are currently offered in the private health system where their price could reach $300 depending on the drug required, would be purchased.
Regarding the vaccine against the Human Papilloma Virus, it has been applied since mid-2020, but it was intended for a girl. The novelty is that now it will also benefit children.
Photo courtesy Ministry of Health
El Salvador faces a shortage of rabies vaccines
While the hexavalent vaccine protects against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenza B, and polio, it has not been available in the health system to date.
Alabi pointed out that these biologicals are already available in all health units so that parents can take minors to their application. Health announced that it will make available a portal where a digital vaccination card can be obtained through www.cartilla_vacunación_gob_sv there you can identify the pending doses. The new vaccination scheme is composed as follows:
Hepatitis A vaccine: prevents this disease and the first dose will be applied in children under 15 months.
Chickenpox Vaccine: prevents the adverse effects of this disease and the first dose will be applied at 15 months. Positioning El Salvador as the third country in the region to include it in the national vaccination scheme.
hexavalent vaccine: reduces the risk of acquiring 6 diseases: diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, Haemophilus influenzae type B, hepatitis B and polio. And it will apply to boys and girls of 18 months.
Pneumococcus 23 Valente: will strengthen the defenses against this disease in older adults and people with chronic diseases. The new scheme also expands vaccination coverage against Human papilloma virus boys and girls aged 9 and 10. Photo/ Courtesy Complaints of shortages
Regarding the recent complaints made through social networks and which were later supported by doctors specializing in infectious diseases and the Medical College, confirming the shortage of different drugs and mainly vaccines for yellow fever, typhoid and rabies, some of these have not been found in the private sector for more than six months and with shortages in the rest of Salvadoran territory, a situation that was described by the official as “incongruous” directed by some specialists:
Workers do not report shortages of medicines due to threats, says Medical College
“What should be clarified, there has been a 100% supply of the influenza vaccine because recently I saw some bad information or in some way with another intention to try to misinform the population when there has really been 100% supply.”
After the statements of the specialists in the first days of this month, Health had not confirmed or denied the situation to date, when the minister questioned “how many times have we heard many specialists in the country complain about the sanitary actions that are being taken by the Ministry of Health, but never before has a new vaccine been incorporated for the elderly population.”
2023-07-20 15:19:00
#Health #include #vaccines #hepatitis #chickenpox #national #scheme #elsalvador.com
