QCOSTARICA – Sitting in a wheelchair, Doña Elizabeth Castillo Cervantes took a deep breath and closeed her eyes as she received the shot in the left shoulder. At 91 years old, Doña Elizabeth is the first person in Costa Rica to be vaccinated against covid-19.
In the nursing home where she resides, a nurse patiently inoculates her with the antibodies with the syringe. Doña Elizabeth feels that the trance is over and opens her eyes. She wears an N95 mask but her gestures reveal that she is smiling. She raised her hands. The medical staff applaud.
“I am very grateful to God, because I have asked him a lot. My life is very important to me, take advantage of all the moments,” she says in a slow voice.
Up next was Jorge De Ford Atmella. Sitting on a sofa, after having sat down, he rolled up his shirt sleever to receive the vaccine.
“Get everyone vaccinated. It didn’t hurt at all,” exclaimed 72-year-old Don Jorge.
“This moment represents for the country the beginning of the path to end the covid-19 pandemic,” said the Costa Rican president, Carlos Alvarado, present at the vaccination that was carried at Fundación Pro Personas Adultas Mayores, in San Ramón from Tres Ríos, east of the capital, San José.
Costa Rica has an agreement to progressively receive 3 million vaccines from Pfizer / Biontech that will cover 1.5 million people.
In addition, it already has agreements with AstraZeneca to vaccinate 500,000 people, and with the Covax facility, sponsored by the WHO, to vaccinate 1 million people.
The aim is that by the end of next year, three million people will be protected against the virus.
Costa Rica expects to cover 80% of the population over 18 years of age. Every week, new doses will arrive and the vaccination will be done according to the group scheme prepared by the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social.
On Friday, December 24, Costa Rica accumulated 162,990 confirmed cases of covid-19 and 2,086 deaths. 594 people are hospitalized, of which 228 are in intensive care.
In the past week, the country has experienced a rebound in infections and has stretched medical resources to the limit.