Religious beliefs and distance influence which segment of the population of Santa Elena is not vaccinated. It is among provinces with the lowest percentage of vaccinated

A family from the canton of La Libertad has professed the evangelical religion for a year. They have decided not to get vaccinated against COVID-19 because of their beliefs.

Other relatives have motivated them to apply the doses, but they remain negative, claiming that “they are blessed by God.”

Like this family, in the Santa Elena peninsula there are others that use religious reasons for not getting vaccinated. In that sector of the country, besides Catholics, there is an important evangelical population, especially in Santa Elena, La Libertad and the northern communes.

They are part of a percentage of the population of the province that has not been vaccinated against the virus. However, in addition to religious reasons, there are others that feed the statistics of the unvaccinated. Among them it is worth mentioning the geographical location, myths, misinformation in social networks, but also because of the different versions given by health personnel.

Of the coastal provinces, Santa Elena is the one with the lowest percentage with respect to the vaccinated population. At the national level it is in the penultimate position, only surpassing Pastaza and Morona Santiago. Santa Elena had 54% this week with a complete scheme.

The doubts of the population and even the misinformation that circulates have contributed to some delaying vaccination. Katiuska became a new mother five months ago, but only got vaccinated less than a month ago, despite her constant interest in getting the dose.

She maintained that she had many doubts due to the diverse information given to her by the personnel in the vaccination centers. “That I should wait until the baby is three months old, that if I got vaccinated I couldn’t breastfeed after 24 hours, and others told me that up to 72 hours. In certain places they told me that I should only apply Sinovac; in others, than any vaccine. All this raised a lot of doubts in me, “he commented.

Lourdes Novillo, district director of Health 24D01 Santa Elena, said that all vaccines are safe and, in the case of pregnant women, the application can be given from the third month of pregnancy without any risk.

He said that the percentage of vaccinated people comes out a little low because there is an age group (from 5 to 11 years old) who are just getting the vaccine. The first dose has been applied to 50.78%, while the second only to 2.30%, because the waiting period has not yet been met.

This while more than 80% of the population older than 30 years has already been inoculated. “What we achieve with vaccination (is that people who contract the virus) do not go to intensive care,” said Novillo.

The District of Santa Elena has vaccination points in its 23 operating units, which are open from Monday to Friday, and in some cases on weekends. Brigades are also being promoted to reach places of difficult access in the peninsular zone.

In recent days, the Minister of Health, Ximena Garzón, has urged the population to get vaccinated. Coronavirus cases are on the rise in several cities.

According to the Ministry of Public Health (MSP), as of November 4 there were 518,589 cases; while there were 529,349 as of December 5.

In about fifteen days it is feared that the epidemiological effects of the Quito festivities will be felt.

In some celebrations there were crowds and biosecurity measures, such as social distancing or the use of a mask, were not respected.

Vaccination of children

The Minister of Health said that the Government will analyze the possibility of vaccinating children from 3 years of age who are in school, as other nations have done, such as Colombia and Chile.

Ecuador is currently applying booster doses to those who received their second dose six months ago. This process was advanced due to the advancement of the omicron variant in the world.

More than 555,580 people have received the booster dose against the coronavirus until December 6, according to the vaccine meter, a tool created by the Ministry of Public Health to see how the vaccination plan is progressing.

The process began last October with health personnel, in November with the elderly as well as patients with immunosuppressive diseases and since December 1 for the general population over 18 years of age due to the threat of the omicron variant.(I)