A few weeks before the end of 2023, the Attorney General’s Office drew attention to the level of compliance in the implementation of the strategic plan to intensify vaccination in Colombia currently in force, due to coverage in biological tracers that do not they reach those expected, which, for the Expanded Immunization Plan of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, are estimated at 95%.
In the follow-up carried out by the Public Ministry to the reports of the ministerial portfolio, with a cut-off date of October 2023, the coverage achieved for the population of 612,970 boys and girls under 1 year of age, records that only 71% have received the BCG vaccine (Tuberculosis) and 75% the dose of pentavalent, which protects against 5 diseases: diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, influenza type b and Hepatitis B.
For its part, for the total population of 634,447 one year old, 77% have been vaccinated against measles and 70% have received the pentavalent vaccine one year after the third dose. By the age of 18 months, 69% have received the measles dose. In 5-year-old boys and girls, it is recorded that of a total population of 693,887, only 73% have received the DPT vaccine that protects against diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus.
In terms of coverage of the national total, the control entity specified that by October 2023 it was expected to reach 79%, finding cases such as in the departments of Cundinamarca and Valle del Cauca, where said coverage in BCG (Tuberculosis) does not exceed the 41%; and in Vaupés and Vichada, where they are below 40% in measles (SRP) in boys and girls of 18 months and 5 years of age.
Even though 3 vaccination days have been carried out “It’s catch up day“The Attorney General’s Office makes a peremptory call to all competent entities and institutions, so that in the remainder of 2023, actions are reinforced that allow the expected vaccination coverage to be achieved and alerts the leaders and incoming leaders, so that in the plans territorial development plans for the period 2024-2027, prioritize strategies so that boys and girls in their territories have full enjoyment of their fundamental right to health and are vaccinated at the ages and with the required doses.
