We have seen in some epidemiological reports the accelerated growth due to covid-19 in our country, which already records an average growth of 34 percent compared to the penultimate epidemiological week. The entities with the highest number of active cases that have increased are: Quintana Roo, Yucatán, CDMX, Chihuahua and Campeche. As we all know, this virus is already part of our epidemiological reality and has become part of the vaccines and reinforcements needed to prevent serious diseases. In this sense, it is worth remembering that the last dose applied to young adults in our country was in the summer. And it is worrying that even children between 6 months and 4 years have not been vaccinated. Nor was the full vaccine schedule completed in the 5-12 year group.
The Federation’s spending budget for next year, approved by a majority of all Morena’s deputies, has suffered a painful cut of 16 billion pesos to the Vaccination Program. And this is where the monopoly on vaccine procurement puts us all at risk, as I will make clear.
We have data, according to ENSANUT 2021, that only three (THREE!) Children out of 10 have their vaccination schedule complete, i.e. only 30% of the child population. With this cut, it’s unthinkable that we’ll have better coverage unless we receive a vaccine donation, an adjustment is made during the year to fund that biologics purchase, or a miracle happens.
According to PAHO, the Mexican government has vaccinated 0%, yes zero percent, of girls to prevent human papilloma virus, which can develop into cervical-uterine cancer, the second leading cause of cancer deaths among adult women . . There are outbreaks of measles and polio in some countries, both diseases practically eradicated in Mexico, which put the population at risk. There was not even talk of acquiring the vaccine for mpox, which has been declared a public health emergency and has spread to 100 countries. A flu wave is possible in this season, mainly between January and February. Seasonal flu is a serious viral infection. All flu seasons are different and can affect people differently. The seasonal season starts in October and could last until March of the following year.
In other words, we are exposed to outbreaks of serious, but preventable, contagious diseases. Throughout history, there have been events that have impacted the health of the Mexican population, so our goal should be to achieve immunological equity and for this it is essential to take care of the health of the entire population: children, adolescents and vulnerable groups, mainly in rural and border areas and indigenous communities. However, there is a risk that an outbreak will also appear in Mexico due to the apparent shortage of vaccines.
Vaccines are the preventive measure par excellence and they work when applied. Vaccines in Mexico are free, safe and effective. In 1992, Dr. Jesús Kumate Rodríguez, then Federal Secretary of Health, promoted the creation of the Universal Vaccination Program, with which it was possible to eradicate smallpox from the country and eliminate measles, polio and malaria mortality in Mexico. To this Mexican doctor and politician, trained as a paediatrician, we owe much in the field of preventable diseases and the establishment of a public state policy through vaccines.
There is now a monopoly on vaccine acquisition and, in my view, a disregard for maintaining comprehensive vaccination schedules for all age groups.
