Mexico City. – Only three countries in Latin America and the Caribbean start 2022 with more than 75% of its population is fully immunized Against Covid-19, not Mexico.
Moreover, no more than a dozen countries will reach the goal Minimum -40% – WHO.
He told Grupo REFORMA that the inequality in terms of immunization is very bad and reflects the disparities in the region before the pandemic. Claudio Castillo, a public health expert at the University of Santiago.
While Chile It has 86 percent complete coverage, Haiti It doesn’t even reach one percent, according to data from Our World in Data.
Until December 22, according to Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)57.3 percent of the Latin American and Caribbean population is fully immunized.
“WHO Agency Director Carissa F-Etienne emphasized that millions of people in our region have not yet received a single dose.
“Inequality around vaccines continues to divide the region, and if we do not address these stark gaps, we will not be able to control this virus.”
The only three countries that will end the year with a full vaccination of more than 75% of their population are: Chile and Cuba (85) and Uruguay (77).
Argentina is very close to that group, with 71.6 percent as of yesterday.
Castillo noted that while several countries in the world focus on booster vaccines, other countries still do not cover the majority of their population with a single dose.
“He pointed out that the reality of the region in general is that access to vaccines was limited due to the value of the vaccines themselves and their availability in other cases.
Vaccination lags far behind in Caribbean, Basically.
The countries with the lowest immunization rate are: Haiti (0.62 percent), Jamaica (19.1 percent), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (23.6 percent) and Guatemala (25.7 percent).
Mexico, the first country in Latin America to start a vaccination campaign against Covid As of December 2020, it is ranked average, with nearly 56 percent of its residents owning a full-fledged scheme.
“The projection is that if no progress is made in vaccinating the later population, it is likely that variables of concern or interest will reappear. “This would cause a new outbreak,” Castillo said.
Looking ahead to 2022, the expert noted that there is a need for a comprehensive regional response from multilateral organizations.
“The PAHO plays a role in this regard, GAVI – the global organization that runs Covax – also plays a role, and it is important for countries to make decisions in line with facilitating this mechanism further.
specific, Castillo He noted that next year, ideally, more than 70 percent of the vaccinated population in Latin America should be reached.
“The challenge is that doses, reinforcements in personnel, and logistical support can be identified, so that countries furthest behind can progress quickly.
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