QCOSTARICA – In Costa Rica, 11,838 people already have the complete vaccination scheme against covid-19, after having received the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
A week ago, the data provided by the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS) spoke of 2,421 people having received the second dose.
Once the schedule is complete, those vaccinated must wait seven to 14 days for their body to produce enough antibodies to defend against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
In total, our country has applied 57,701 doses of vaccines against this disease since December 24, the date on which the vaccination began.
Read more: People without Caja do have options to get vaccinated against covid-19
Of this number, 85% (48,833) were directed to officials of first responders and 15% (8,868) to residents and workers of homes for the elderly.
All regions of the country have already started inoculation. As more vaccines arrived, they will be distributed to continue the campaign that aims to reach, by the end of the year, the entire population over 18 years of age.
The priority
Applying those second doses is what the CCSS is mainly focused on while waiting for the next shipment from Pfizer, expected mid-month after the pharmaceutical suspended delivery worldwide for three weeks while it upgrades its Europe manufacturing facility.
Leandra Abarca Gómez, coordinator of the Expanded Program of Immunizations of the CCSS, stressed that all the people who have received their first dose can rest assured that they will receive the second, since the vaccines in stock are destined to complete process.
According to the numbers by the CCSS, as of today, Monday, there are 34,025 people waiting for this second dose.
Last week, the CCSS announced that 80% of the vaccines arriving this month and next wil be for group 2 – those 58 years of age and older with out without underlying risk factors – and 20% for first responders.
The former will begin to be applied in order of age, from the oldest to the youngest.
Sixth dose
Through a press release, the CCSS verified that the vaccinators did manage to obtain the sixth dose from the vials. Previously, as Pfizer specified that each vial included five doses, the excess, which on some occasions was discarded.
This allows 20% more people to be vaccinated.
The CCSS will reinforce the training processes on the correct technique for the extraction of the doses required by the vaccine from Pfizer in the units still pending to start the vaccination process.
Despite the progress of the vaccination campaign, health officials remind the population to maintain prevention measures, such as distancing, use of a mask and hand washing.
