The Balearic Islands open this Wednesday afternoon vaccination without prior appointment in the massive centers set up on the islands, a measure that also began on Tuesday in 25 centers in Catalonia.
The objective of the Balearic government is to advance as quickly as possible in the immunization of the target population of the islands (from 12 years old), in the middle of the tourist season, since, according to the latest data, 66% of its population target has already received the complete schedule of the vaccine and 76.2%, the first dose.
Balearic Islands open vaccination without prior appointment
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The Balearic Islands today join communities like Catalonia that have decided to open vaccination without an appointment. From this afternoon, any Balearic citizen over 12 years of age can go to any of the centers to be vaccinated without making an appointment.
This applies both to Balearic citizens and to those displaced by work or former relatives, who will already be able to go to receive their first dose of the vaccine. This decision is due in part to the holidays in August, since on those days a lot of the population is out enjoying their vacations, according to Patricia Gómez, the Balearic Islands’ health and consumption counselor.
Another reason for adopting this measure is due to the character of the Balearic Islands as an island destined for the service sector. In this way, many workers in these sectors have complicated schedules to go to vaccination appointments.
“Many have told me personally: ‘we will wait until September or October to get vaccinated, when the season is over.’ Right now it is a matter of giving them the maximum facilities, that it is as close as possible to their home, that they can go without an appointment … Provide access facilities, to see if we can improve or expand coverage, “explains the counselor.
In recent weeks there has been a slowdown in the vaccination rate, “in the population over 40 years of age we have a fairly good percentage, but among those aged 50-59 years we lack 13%, among those aged 40-49 we have 76% of vaccinated. Where we have the highest percentage in Spain is from 12 to 19, but it is true that this month we are noticing a slowdown “.
“We intend to have the population vaccinated before the start of the school year,” says Gómez. “We are also working from the Ministry of Education, sending letters to parents, asking for help from the media to show that vaccination is a large part of the solution and the solution is in our hands,” he adds.
Reaching out to the unimmunized
The walk-in vaccination will be available between 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. at mass vaccination points with the intention of reaching the population that has not yet been immunized.
The health care director of the Balearic Islands Health Service (Ib-Salut), Eugènia Carandell, has again called for vaccination, especially for pregnant women.
Increase coverage
In Catalonia, the objective is to continue increasing coverage and face the reduction in applications and the increase in people who do not show up for the appointment, detected in recent weeks.
For this, the Ministry of Health has explained that it has enabled 25 vaccination points throughout Catalonia, which from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. will offer the possibility of getting vaccinated without prior appointment to the entire population from 12 years old.
Massive campaign
The Valencian Ministry of Health has launched a massive campaign to give a new opportunity to those who, having received the call or SMS to get vaccinated against Covid-19, have not attended the appointment for whatever reason. People who are in this situation will receive a text message on their mobile this Thursday.
The SMS includes a link where the person can select, from among four options, the week or weeks that best suits their availability. Thus, to interfere as little as possible in the work activity or in the vacation period, the interested person can express their preference for any of the last two weeks of August or for the first two weeks of September.
Save lifes
“This initiative seeks to re-fish those who in their day could not go to get vaccinated because they had some other unavoidable appointment, for health reasons, because they had doubts or, simply, they were confused. This new opportunity should not be missed because the vaccine against Covid-19 works. It is the best way we have to cut the virus transmission chains and save lives, “recalls the minister Ana Barceló.
Vaccination of pregnant women
The Community of Madrid has established a procedure for primary care without an appointment in public and private centers in the region to facilitate their immunization in the first consultation they attend or refer them to the vaccination point closest to their home.
In this way, the regional government prioritizes the vaccination of pregnant women who have not yet received any dose, so that they receive mRNA vaccines (Pfizer or Moderna), as agreed in the Public Health Commission with the Federation of Medical Scientific Associations Spanish (FACME) on August 3.
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