The head of the Ministry of Health (Minsa), Jorge López, indicated this week that he expects 80% of the target population to have their third dose against the coronavirus (COVID-19) to evaluate the elimination of the mandatory use of the mask in open spaces, as occurs in countries like Chile and Spain.
LOOK: The decrease in hospitalizations for COVID-19 cases continues in the Junín region
In this regard, various specialists were consulted by this newspaper to find out their opinion regarding the announcement.
They disagree with the announcement of the Minsa
The former head of Immunizations of the Minsa, Gabriela Jiménez, was against what was announced by the Health sector and considered that the mandatory use of masks in open spaces -at this time- should be aimed only at immunosuppressed people, with respiratory problems, with cancer, among others.
“In that sense, (wait for 80% to lift the measure), I do disagree and there are many who disagree with the proposal (…) We know that practically in this month of April we are in the number of cases, including hospitalizations, compared to the first two pandemic waves, lower. In theory, we could eventually say that the third wave is over, therefore, what has to be done is an evaluation of the restriction measures”he indicated in a dialogue with this medium.
“We do not agree with the continued use of masks in open spaces. We are going to have the entire population misusing it because the criteria for use are no longer being properly controlled. (….) The measures that are still being maintained are counterproductive and we therefore consider that this aspect should be re-evaluated”he added.
He commented that, to reinforce security measures, the Minsa has to improve the surveillance of the distance of two meters and the ventilation in closed places. “I would say that immunosuppressed people, I mean comorbid people, people with cancer, with chronic respiratory problems, if they should use masks as a protective factor as we did before, for example, with HIV patients”.
For his part, the data analyst and former member of the OpenCovid-Peru platform, Juan Carbajal, pointed out that in other countries the decisions regarding the use of the mask in open spaces are far from the determinations made by Peru.
“For example, I see Colombia, where President Iván Luque on February 23 indicated that in all cities that have more than 70% with two doses in open spaces: zero masks. Chile this week has taken similar steps. On the other hand, in Peru, why the third dose, why to the entire population? And, furthermore, even today our country has better epidemiological indicators than Colombia, and Colombia from February 23 to date has not had any outbreaks or outbreaks of COVID-19 cases, the same as Peru. So, like those decisions to reach 80% and just see whether or not we use the mask in open spaces, they are far from what other countries have been doing “he asserted.
When would 80% of the population be vaccinated with three doses?
According to Gabriela Jiménez, the vaccination brigades are currently applying between 100,000 to 107,000 doses per day. so she projects that by the end of June or the beginning of July we would be reaching the goal proposed by the Minsa to remove the mandatory use of masks in open spaces.
“We would only be arriving at the end of June, that is, we would be finishing the first semester of this year reaching 80%. It means that only in July could we say that we would have exceeded or reached 80%. Between the end of June and the first weeks of July”I knowñalo
“That would be more or less the scope projection considering that to date we still have a population gap per vaccine of 8 and a half million,” he added.
Meanwhile, Juan Carbajal specified that the average application of third daily doses is around 90 thousand. “In order to reach 80% we have to reach 26 million 200 thousand, we are talking about a remaining 11 million 800. In the hypothetical case, we should border at most 100,000 to 120,000 doses on average, but of course the average should be standard, not have those potholes.
“We are talking that in October or September it could arriveI say it could be reached. This calculation is made with the current average in the third dose, which is low, it is low not only because of the number of doses that are being applied but also because the rhythm is falling. We would be optimistic of being able to reach 80% if we saw the growth curve rising, but no, today it is falling, and that is observed in all age groups”he asserted.
Use of mask must follow
When asked about the Minsa announcement about eliminating the use of the mask in open spaces, the former Minister of Health, Óscar Ugarte, expressed that the measures against COVID-19 should be made more flexible as security progresses.
“Security is given, one, with vaccination, we are far away there, two because of social behavior and that has to do with distancing and wearing a mask, and three because of the variants that could be more aggressive. It is not that it can be said that we reach 80% and remove the mask, that is relative, we must evaluate, reaching 80% is a good objective, it could even be from 70% “Held.
He added that even most developed countries have not yet reached 80%, but they are above 70% in third doses. “Let’s say, it could be above 70% if at the same time we maintain social distancing and have the Omicron variant under control, because if we are vaccinated, but the BA.2 variant enters strongly, we will have to wear a mask again. and keep your distance. It is not that we reach 80% and fail”.
In addition, he questioned what will happen to the provinces that do not reach 80% of vaccinated with a third dose, since the goal is at the national level, more is not differentiated according to the reality of each region.
“One might think that it will not reach 80% the same throughout the country, so in some parts it can reach 80% and not in others, then in those parts, is the norm made more flexible or not? I think that the idea that needs to be translated is to achieve the best conditions such as vaccination, social distancing and control of BA.2. In these terms, it is possible to progressively evaluate removing the mask in public places and then becoming more flexible “, pointed out.
Strategies to reach 80% of the population with three doses
In order to achieve 80% of the population with three doses at the national level, the former head of Immunizations of the Minsa considers that it is necessary to study in greater depth what are the factors that make citizens not go to vaccination centers and evaluate the effectiveness of house-to-house vaccination brigades.
“The issue now would be to study what are the reasons why the population is still not joining very actively (to the vaccinations) and also to study other intervention options. (…) I think that we would have to do more information actions to the population about the importance of giving ourselves a space of time to ensure that this third dose generates a protection center, in such a way that it is one of the paraments to prepare ourselves also in relation to a potential fourth dose.”
Meanwhile, Juan Carbajal proposed that, as in other countries in the region, those cities be encouraged so that they can reach those vaccination rates so that they no longer wear a mask in open spaces. “How many of these 196 provinces have a good percentage in the application of third doses, they can be motivated, if this percentage reaches 70% to 80% and open the issue of not wearing a mask in open spaces. Motivate, encourage, and not see it on a national scale. The Minister of Health has said that at the national level we must reach 80% of the third dose, but that is general, Peru is multicultural, it has an urban and rural area, each province has progress as such.”
Who can receive the third dose against COVID-19?
From Friday, November 26, 2021, the third dose of the vaccine, or booster dose, against the coronavirus to all people 18 years of age.
Although initially this was placed 5 months after receiving the second dose, the Ministry of Health decided to reduce the waiting time just 3 months.
While, adolescents from 12 to 17 years can access the booster vaccine from last Saturday, March 26 5 months after receiving the second dose.
Advance of third dose in provinces
According to the page of the Single National Repository of Health Information (meet), updated until 12:30 on Thursday, April 14, the province of Yauli (Junín) has an advance of 68.9% of third doses appliedfollowed by Asunción (68.1%), Mariscal Luzuriaga (67.6%), Aija (67.2%), Ica (66.2%), Pomabamba (66.2%), Huarmey (66.2%), Callao (64.5%), among others.
While the provinces with less coverage of booster dose application are Azángaro (14.7%), Chumbivilcas (14.7%), Pachitea (14.4%), Atalaya (14.2%), Sandia (14%), Datem del Marañón (10.8%). ) and Condorcanqui (5.4%).
Peru reached 50% of vaccinated with three doses
Last Wednesday, the Health sector announced that it was possible to exceed 50% in the application of the third dose, which means 14 million people vaccinated and an important advance in vaccination against COVID-19.
“We reached 50.1% of the population with 3 doses against COVID-19, a great advance in vaccination, announced the Minister of Health, Jorge López Peña, at the Yerbateros terminal”, the entity posted on Twitter.
RECOMMENDED VIDEO
:quality(75)/cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/QjgUVY6I/poster.jpg "When would Peru reach 80% of its target population vaccinated against COVID-19?")
SUBSCRIBE TO YOUTUBE MAIL
:quality(75)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/elcomercio/KLUJVAD645BHHB2M32MAVU6OAQ.jpeg "When would Peru reach 80% of its target population vaccinated against COVID-19?")
