Health personnel go from house to house identifying those who need to be vaccinated against COVID-19. These sweeps are done every month in the Penipe canton, located in the northwest of Chimborazo. “We implement this strategy to find susceptible people and manage their vaccination,” says Luis Alejandro, head of epidemiological surveillance in Penipe.
This is one of the towns with the highest percentage of the population with the reinforcement against the coronavirus. It has 6,932 inhabitants, of which 43% have already received that dose. Other cantons with a high percentage are the insular: Isabela with 53%, San Cristóbal with 45% and Santa Cruz with 41%, according to official figures as of January 27.
An analysis by EL UNIVERSO found that the majority of cantons that exceed a quarter of their population with the reinforcement are in the Sierra, mainly in Pichincha, Carchi and Loja; while the coastal and Amazon cantons lag behind.
There are cantons that have less than 5% of inhabitants with the reinforcement: Taisha and Tiwintza (in Morona Santiago) have barely 2%; Arajuno (in Pastaza), 3%; and Colimes (in Guayas), 4%.
Ecuador, with 16% of its population vaccinated with the booster dose, ranks sixth in South America. The countries with the highest booster vaccination are Chile (64%), Uruguay (54%), Argentina (30%), Brazil (24%) and Peru (23%).
Ideally reinforcements should exceed 80% of the population, comments immunologist Pablo Torres. He claims that this would help contain the pandemic by avoiding high rates of contagion, severity of the disease and risk of death. It would also prevent the virus from mutating.
Increasing the percentage of reinforcement is a priority of the Ministry of Public Health (MSP). By a guideline of this portfolio, since last February 1, those over 45 years of age who have completed the vaccination schedule five months ago can already receive the additional dose. While people between 18 and 44 years old will be able to access the reinforcement after six months of having received the complete scheme.
For the epidemiologist at the University of the Americas David Larreátegui, it is necessary to shorten the booster vaccination timebecause it helps to improve the antibodies that, from the fourth month, begin to decrease.
The inoculation of the reinforcement could have been affected by the recent wave of infections caused by the omicron variant, points out the epidemiologist Andrea Gómez. She recommends that those who recently became ill and are ready to receive the booster, can take this dose a month after infection or fifteen days after no symptoms.
The cantons furthest behind in vaccination
To bring vaccines to Taisha and Tiwintza you have to travel 20 minutes by plane. Delis Santos must complete that itinerary and then walk three hours through the jungle to inoculate the inhabitants of Taisha.
These logistical problems have affected the vaccination process in that canton. Barely 16% of its inhabitants have the complete scheme. In Tiwintza the figure is around 26%.
In both cantons, confirmed cases of COVID-19 have increased considerably in the last month. Infections grew 51% in Taisha and 7% in Tiwintza. They are part of the 21 cantons that are at a red light.
Epidemiologist Carola Cedillo recommends a friendlier relationship with populations that remain negative towards vaccines. Therefore, the expert suggests do not impose criteria regarding vaccination nor tell them what to do, because it generates resistance in the indigenous communities.
“You have to approach the populations that have their ancestral knowledge and their own culture in a friendly way. The most important thing is to aspire to a better contact with the community before an imposition, hoping to achieve more adherence and trust in the health system”, she affirms.
Vaccination in Galapagos
The journey to mobilize batches of vaccines against COVID-19 to the Galapagos Islands begins in Guayaquil. MSP official Ramiro Echeverría monitors the process. After almost two hours of flight, a plane lands in Baltra with the required doses. Navy helicopters depart from there taking the material to the other islands.
“Here There has been no big anti-vaccine movement. However, we have respected the right of some people who have not wanted to be vaccinated for some reason of a religious nature or other reasons of personal opinion, but this has been less than 1%, “says Echeverría.
He adds that the progress of both primary and booster doses in Galapagos is due to three factors: cooperation between public and private institutions; availability of vaccines; and support of civil organizations.
With 44% of its total population vaccinated with the booster, Galapagos is the province with the highest reinforcement coverage in the country. It is followed by Pichincha (25%), Azuay (21%), Tungurahua (21%) and Loja (20%).
Whenever it is required, the vaccine banks in the Insular region receive the necessary doses to continue with the vaccination process of the Galapagos population, which, according to Echeverría, is carried out in all the health services available in the Galapagos. different islands. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
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