QCOSTARICA – Costa Ricans and residents over 58 who are not with the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS) or Caja will be able to receive the covid-19 vaccine, starting in mid-February, when the next batch of doses arrives.
The National Commission for Vaccination and Epidemiology (CNVE) established that the situation in the country with the pandemic makes it necessary to vaccinate as many people as possible, regardless of their Caja insurance status, in order to have more people protected.
What must a person do who is not a contributor to the Caja to have access to these vaccines?
The CCSS has different options depending on the condition of these people.
If the person recently lost their insured status and was already enrolled in their health area and with access to the single digital health record (EDUS) and their data is up to date, they will be called when appropriate according to their age.
In the case of people who are not registered with the Caja at all, they have two options. One is to purchase voluntary insurance and enroll in the health area depending on where they live. The other is to call or go to the health area to register on the lists that each Ebáis (clinic) is collecting with the data of each person who requires the vaccine. Based on the age of the person they will be called.
Gradual process
Once the next vaccine doses arrive, the next shipment by Pfizer is expected on the 16th of 17th of February, 80% will be for people in group 2, the over 58, regardless of their risk factors, job occupation, or insurance status.
Health officials are clear that not contributing or enrolled in the Caja system does not deny them access to the vaccine.
Each person will be called with an appointment with the day, time and place of their vaccination.
The process is gradual, because the doses will arrive little by little and because each health area has a particular mechanism according to its population and its conditions.
However, there is an established prioritization: it begins with people over 80 years of age.
As it progresses with these older people, appointments will be made for the rest, always with the understanding that older people take priority.
“This process is done little by little, when I already known that in one’s health area they have a vaccine, one can approach and make use of these mechanisms. It is important to approach with all means of protection: mask, hand washing, distancing. That is important,” stated in a previous press conference Leandra Abarca, coordinator of the Expanded Program on Immunization of the CCSS.
However, if it were possible to vaccinate the not so old on the same occasion, it will be done, so as not to lose the opportunity.
The goal, according to Abarca, is to vaccinate those at highest risk due to their age but will vaccinate those under that. For example, a person who is 60 who lives with people over 80.
