 The most recent shipment arrived Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. at the Juan Santamarķa International Airport with 174,330 doses of Pfizer vaccines. - National Emergency Commission photo -  |
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Published
Thursday, May 20, 2021
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff Costa Rica has imported 1,769,025 vaccines against covid-19, according to the National Emergency Commission. The most recent shipment arrived on a DHL cargo flight Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. at the Juan Santamarķa International Airport with 174,330 doses of Pfizer vaccines. These doses are part of the 6,000,425 million Pfizer vaccines purchased for the treatment of more than 3 million people. The original agreement included 4,000,025 doses, in addition to two million more announced by President Alvarado last week.  Last Thursday, 88,800 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines arrived on a Lufthansa cargo flight. That was the second cargo of AstraZeneca vaccines. The first arrived in April with 43,200 units. 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 or Moderna. The country also purchased 1,092,000 additional doses last year of AstraZeneca vaccines. According to the commission statistics, the country bought a total of 9,130,025 doses to ensure treatment for more than 4.5 million people.  Currently, 1,251,900 vaccines against covid-19 have been applied, reaching a national vaccination rate of 24.25 per 100 inhabitants, according to the statistics of the Vaccine National Information System. There are 721,882 people who have received their first dose. And 530,018 people have completed their treatment upon receiving the second dose. Authorities announced on Tuesday, the days required between the first and second dose of treatment will be extended. This decision is due to "new scientific evidence." Now there is a 12-week period between each dose. The country has yet to finish inoculating 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. The vaccination campaign is currently in the Group-B of High Risk, which includes people over the age of 58, regardless of whether or not they have any pre-existing health risk factors. Simultaneously, the Group-C of High Risk, 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. Authorities announced on Tuesday, the beginning of the vaccination of people from Group-D of High Risk, 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. They 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. President Carlos Alvarado announced his plan to expedite the vaccination campaign against covid-19 to inoculate at least 3.5 million people by the end of this year. In June the country may receive more than 2.2 million doses. It is also scheduled to import 2.5 million vaccines between July and September. Authorities expect that this month more than 600,000 people will have completed the second dose scheme. And in July 1 million people should have received at least one dose. By the end of this year, the government's goal is to have vaccinated at least 3.5 million people. The Ministry of Health reported on Wednesday a total of 64,174 active covid-19 cases in the country. Of the total 293,820 cases detected since 2020, there are a recorded 3,696 deaths listed as covid-19 related, approximately 1.3% death rate. -------------------------- 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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