QCOSTARICA – The Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS) will maintain the special vaccination against covid-19 for the irregular migrant population residing in the country, for example, tourists, including perpetual tourists (people who live in Costa Rica but do not have residency) until October 28.
Originally it was to have been only one week, to the 21st, this after the agreement of the National Vaccination and Epidemiology Commission (CNVE) that allowed extending the term of this vaccination strategy.
As explained by Dr. Leandra Abarca of the Epidemiological Surveillance of the CCSS, this initiative is aimed at migrant population groups residing in the country regardless of their immigration status and demonstration of roots.
Since October 8, the CCSS vaccination teams have developed strategies to protect the irregular (illegal) migrant population residing in the country, who are over 18 years old, against covid-19.
Data from the Sistema Integrado de Vacunas (SIVA) del Expediente Digital Único en Salud (Edus) – Integrated Vaccine System (SIVA) of the Single Digital Health Record (Edus) – show that in the period from October 8 to 14, 28,845 doses of the vaccine against covid-19 were applied to foreigners residing in our country. Of these 17 299 correspond to first doses and 11 546 to second.
In addition, as part of this data, there is protection with the first dose to 9,629 people who were not registered in the institutional affiliation databases and who required the assignment of a temporary identification number. Of these, 7,913 were first doses and 1,716 were second.
“This is of great importance because we are protecting people who reside in our country, who live day by day as part of the population, who wanted to be vaccinated against covid-19 and who for some reason had not been able to access the vaccine,” said Dr. Abarca, who added that “the Caja teams continue with the mission of vaccinating as many people as possible against covid-19 in the shortest time possible and as established by the CNVE.”
Dr. Abarca urged the entire population over 18 years of age who has not yet started their vaccination scheme to approach the vaccination posts authorized by the CCSS to receive their first dose of the biological against covid-19.
In addition, she reminded the population that the vaccines against covid-19 that are being applied in the country are safe and have demonstrated their effectiveness in reducing the risk of severe complications and the risk of death from covid-19.
The CCSS has vaccination posts available throughout the country; In addition, strategies have been implemented in settlements, work centers and public places to facilitate the access of the migrant population to the vaccine.
Vaccination locations and times are available on the CCSS website at www.ccss.sa.cr/vacunacion.
