Until now, the CNVE considered that the protective shield against the disease, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, was two doses of the products applied in this country -even combined- from Pfizer/BioNTech, AstraZeneca and Moderna.
However, in a new evaluation it is now estimated that for those over 12 years of age it is three portions, two of the basic scheme and one of reinforcement four months after the second injection.
In this regard, Leandra Abarca and Diana Paniagua, from Epidemiological Surveillance of the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS), explained that based on the Integrated Vaccine System (SIVA) as of March 14, one million 420 thousand 888 elderly people of 12 years with more than four months of applied the second dose have pending reinforcement.
By age groups, the SIVA statistics show that the third dose has not yet been applied to 131,436 adolescents from 12 to 17 years old, from 18 to 57 years old one million 112 thousand 150 and from 58 years and over 177 thousand 302.
Abarca asserted that the vaccines prove to be safe and effective in reducing the complications generated by Covid-19, such as prolonged hospitalizations and even death.
On his side, Paniagua urged the population that has not yet been vaccinated or has pending the second or third dose, to approach the vaccination points.
As part of the second phase of the Reinforce strategy: everything against Covid-19, Paniagua said that to make it easier, the CCSS immunization teams are visiting companies and in some communities they carry out house-to-house sweeps.
Vaccination is open in all health areas, he pointed out and announced that in 37 of them an appointment can be requested through the institution’s website, which arranged 25,000 appointments for this week and there are only 7,041 left for today, tomorrow and Saturday.
SIVA data reflects that from December 24, 2020, when the campaign began, until this Monday, the CCSS vaccinating teams injected nine million 790 thousand 312 doses of the vaccine against Covid-19.
Of that total, four million 273 thousand 569 correspond to first portions, three million 892 thousand 636 to second and one million 624 thousand 107 to third, applied as reinforcement to those over 12 years of age with more than four months of having received the second.
According to SIVA statistics, Costa Rica reaches 89 percent of application of first doses in the population over five years old, 81.8 in second and 33.8 in third.
jf/ale
