“Vaccines have allowed the current peak to be lower”: Ministry of Health

In the midst of the fifth peak of covid-19 in the country, health authorities have insisted on the importance of vaccination to preserve immunity against the new variants responsible for the increase in infections.

In this sense, the Unified Command Post (PMU) number 138 was held this Friday, in which the Ministry of Health and Social Protection (MinSalud) highlighted the advantage that inoculation has over epidemiological control.

Special emphasis was also placed on the opportunity and guarantee that Colombians have of accessing vaccines against covid-19, since they are the main measure to combat severe illness and death from SARS-CoV-2.

In this regard, the director of Promotion and Prevention indicated that “vaccination has demonstrated total efficacy, safety and protection for the lives of Colombians. Although we have a peak, we can see the difference with the previous peaks and that is a product of the vaccination”.

Gerson Bermont highlighted the great work carried out at the different levels of the health sector “to ensure that to date 83% of the population is vaccinated with at least one dose.”

Thus, the official let it be known that in the advancement of the National Vaccination Plan against covid-19 (PNV) There are already 42,637,653 people with the first or only dose, which represents 83.5% of the population to be vaccinated.

As for people who already have a complete initial immunization schedule, progress is recorded in 36,338,153 people (71.2%).

On the other hand, with regard to booster doses, 13,363,983 people over 12 years of age have received the well-known third dose; and in the fourth dose, it is 1,143,646 people, according to the director.

In the analysis of vaccination in boys and girls, progress in first doses is 4,702,237 children (66%); and in second doses, the level reached in 3,248,599 children (45.6%) to date.

The PMU also reported the number of irregular migrants vaccinated, which stands at 646,007 with first or only doses. With these numbers, 86,760,391 doses have already been applied in Colombia since the moment the PNV began in February 2020.

territorial advance

Within the framework of the goal of 70% of complete schemes and 40% in first booster doses, Bermont indicated that 535 municipalities in Colombia are above this indicator.

In this way, 442 municipalities are missing to reach 70% in coverage defined by the National Government to be able to remove the mask in closed spaces.

The health institution highlighted that within the territorial entities that have already reached the goal are San Andrés, Bogotá, Quindío, Barranquilla, Boyacá, Caldas, Tolima, Antioquia, Amazonas and Risaralda.

For its part, Among the capitals that have already reached the goal are Tunja, Leticia, Armenia, Pereira, Ibagué, Manizales, Bogotá, Bucaramanga, San Andrés, Barranquilla, Puerto Carreño, Medellín, Yopal, Popayán, Cali and Neiva.

“Let’s remember that we maintain the recommendation of the use of the mask, however, those municipalities that have already reached the goal of 70% and 40%, can apply the measure of removing the mask in closed spaces,” concluded Bermont.

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