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  As of Tuesday, 2,440,385 vaccines against covid-19 have been applied, reaching a national vaccination rate of 47.3 per 100 inhabitants. - Social Security photo -  |
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Published Wednesday,
June 30, 2021
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff As of Tuesday, 2,440,385 vaccines against covid-19 have been applied, reaching a national vaccination rate of 47.3 per 100 inhabitants, according to the statistics from the Vaccine National Information System. Of these, 1,629,222 people have received their first dose. And 811,163 people have completed their two-dose treatment. Health authorities established that at least 70% of the population, about 3.5 million people in Costa Rica, must be vaccinated in order to keep the rate of infection down and achieve herd immunity. Herd immunity, also known as “population immunity” is a form of indirect protection from an infectious disease that can occur with some diseases when a sufficient percentage of a population has become immune to an infection, whether through vaccination or previous infections, thereby reducing the likelihood of infection for individuals who lack immunity, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Costa Rica has imported 2,714,055 vaccines against covid-19, according to the National Emergency Commission to continue inoculating the so-called High Risk Population Group. These as part of the 9,130,725 purchased doses to ensure treatment for more than 4.5 million residents living in the country. The vaccination campaign includes people over the age of 12 with pre-existing health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, chronic respiratory disease, chronic kidney disease, obesity, cancer, among others. The vaccination schedule for the rest of the population has not been released. According to Social Security, there is a process to getting inoculated. Citizens (including expats), must visit the local community clinic, known as Ebais to provide a copy of the ID and one utility bill to verify the person's home address. Then, clinic staff will provide the vaccine date. According to the Ministry of Health, there are 69,422 active covid-19 cases in the country. Of the total 366,161 cases detected since last year, there were 4,661 deaths listed as covid-19 related, approximately 1.3% death rate in Costa Rica. The pandemic has killed more than 3.9 million people worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University. -------------------------- How far along is your country in achieving herd immunity against covid-19? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com            
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