Salinas issued a letter to citizens after suspension of anticovid vaccination for children – Information – 07/07/2022

“Montevideo, July 7, 2022

Carta abierta a la ciudadania – Yet it moves

We emphatically reaffirm our conviction that the National Vaccination Plan against Covid-19 was necessary and effective in mitigating the Pandemic. Vaccination was an instrument that made it possible to significantly improve the country’s health status: it reduced infections, hospitalizations and deaths from Covid-19.

While the entire world suffered serious damage from the succession of waves of Covid-19, in Uruguay the entry of the Delta variant had no negative impact, since a significant percentage of the population already had a booster dose. Later, the entry of the Omicron variant did not bring a proportional increase, in relation to the wave produced by the P1 or Gamma variant, in terms of serious cases that had already died.

And more importantly, the vaccine made it possible to keep the health system intact and active, which at no time collapsed, unlike what happened in other countries. It is fair to recognize the high adherence of the medical and non-medical personnel of the health system, who had a very high rate of adherence to the vaccine and who were pillars that kept the health system fully operational in these years of pandemic.

Vaccination also allowed society to fully and early recover educational, social, cultural and sports activities. Uruguay managed to have more presence in education in relation to other countries and this will surely be appreciated by future generations. Our children returned to class earlier. Let us remember that teachers and educators were prioritized groups so that everyone can return to the classroom with the greatest possible health security.

Vaccination also made it possible to recover earlier and improve social interaction, accompanying the most vulnerable, such as the elderly and people with disabilities.

The vaccine protected and protects society as a whole; very especially to the most vulnerable: people with comorbidities, children, the elderly, people with disabilities and people with a weakened autoimmune system.

To question the safety and efficacy of vaccines implies a serious damage to the vaccination and health status achieved in our country. Uruguay has been an example in the world for its management of the pandemic and for its rapid vaccination, a merit of the population as a whole.

It also implies affecting the credibility of our scientists and academics who have supported this vaccination campaign.

Likewise, the vaccination plan and the choice of vaccine platforms were endorsed by the Honorary Scientific Advisory Group (GACH) and more than 80 experts from different disciplines, including doctors from all specialties, sociologists, psychologists, statisticians, mathematicians, among others.

Even more serious, the overwhelming accumulated scientific evidence is questioned, information that has been published on the MSP page and is available to the population.

The scientific evidence overwhelmingly shows that the messenger RNA vaccine does not modify the human genome.

We reiterate our commitment to the health of each and every Uruguayan. We reiterate our belief that we have done the right thing at all times.

Many Uruguayans under the age of 13 have already been able to receive the necessary doses, but others have NOT. They are being unjustly denied their right.

As legend has it, almost four centuries ago, Galileo Galilei would have said: “Eppur si muove”.
Daniel Salina.

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