 The most recent shipment with 204,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines, arrived on Sunday at 5 a.m. in an Aero Union cargo flight at the Juan Santamarķa International Airport. - National Emergency Commission photo -  |
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Published
Monday, May 24, 2021
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff Costa Rica has imported 1,973,025 vaccines against covid-19, according to the National Emergency Commission. The most recent shipment with 204,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines, arrived on Sunday at 5 a.m. in an Aero Union cargo flight at the Juan Santamarķa International Airport. These are part of the 2,037,600 doses of vaccines purchased through the Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access, COVAX system, of the World Health Organization. This acquisition includes WHO-approved vaccines, such as AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna. The country also purchased 1,092,000 additional doses last year of AstraZeneca vaccines. Last week, 174,330 doses of Pfizer vaccines arrived on a DHL cargo flight. These doses are part of the 6,000,425 million Pfizer vaccines purchased for the treatment of more than 3 million people. In June the country may receive more than 2.2 million doses. Also, the country is expecting 2.5 million vaccines to be imported between July and September. Authorities expect that in May more than 600,000 people will have completed their second dose. And in July, one million people should have received at least their first dose. By the end of this year, the government's goal is to have vaccinated at least 3.5 million people. The country bought a total of 9,130,025 doses to ensure treatment for more than 4.5 million Costa Rican residents, according to the commision statistics. President Carlos Alvarado's goal is to get 3.5 million people inoculated by the end of this year.  Last week the Vaccine National Information System said they reached 1,251,900 vaccines against covid-19 applied, reaching a national vaccination rate of 24.25 per 100 inhabitants. Of these, 721,882 people have received their first dose, and 530,018 people have completed their treatment upon receiving the second dose. The country continues inoculating simultaneously: Group-A of High Risk, which includes elderly folks living in nursing homes, nursing home employees, healthcare workers, members of the police force, firefighters and Emergency Commission workers, among others. Group-B, which includes people over the age of 58, regardless of whether or not they have any pre-existing health risk factors. Group-C, which includes people between the ages of 16 and 58 with certain health risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, chronic respiratory disease, chronic kidney disease, obesity and cancer. Except for pregnant women or those who are breastfeeding. Group-D, which includes garbage collectors, workers from the Ministry of Public Education, workers from the private education sector, workers from the Public Care Centers, workers from orphanages and shelters, workers of the Water Institute (AyA), workers of the 9-1-1 emergency center, court workers, judicial agents and workers of prisons and inmates. To receive the vaccine, participants must have a Costa Rican ID or a residency ID, known as DIMEX specific for immigrants with resident status. People must also visit the local community clinic, known as Ebais, to be listed as a candidate for getting the treatment. Authorities advise people who are not yet registered in the Ebais, to provide a copy of an ID and one utility bill to verify the person's home address. Home address verification is a requirement to establish the specific public clinic where the person must be attended. People already registered in the Ebais and Social Security database, known as EDUS, will be contacted by phone to register for a vaccine date. The Ministry of Health reported on Friday a total of 66,865 active covid-19 cases in the country. Of the total 299,219 cases detected since 2020. There are a recorded 3,765 deaths listed as covid-19 related, approximately 1.3% death rate. According to Johns Hopkins University, the pandemic has killed more than 3.4 million people worldwide. -------------------------- What have you heard of expats- residents facing problems getting vaccinated in Costa Rica? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com             |
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