Last February 16th Two years have passed since the country began the vaccination process against COVID-19opening a path of hope at that time in the face of the unknown virus that kept humanity in suspense.
The first to be inoculated were the doctors and the hospital staff. Ramon de Lara Hospitalsince the first case of COVID-19 of the country, the Italian citizen Claudio Pascualini, who remained hospitalized for 54 days.
That first batch of vaccines came from India, manufactured under license from AstraZenecaabout 110 kilos of the vaccine, although the exact amount of dose.
With the arrival of three million dose of vaccines Sinovacfrom the People’s Republic of China, mass vaccination was opened.
The plan devised through the platform “VacúnateRD” was gradually added to all age groups, starting with patients with comorbidities and over 60 years of age, to people over 18 years of age, until including adolescents between 12 and 17 years of age in mid-2021 and with the arrival of 228,150 dose of Pfizer in June of that year.
As of February 2022, the Health authorities authorized vaccination in schools for children between the ages of five and 11 years.
To date, some 193, 468 children have been inoculated when the established goal was 1,378,000 infants, that is, 14% of the target group.
According to the most recent update of the VacúnateRD portal, as of February 16, 2023, they have been administered 16,229,237 doses of anticovid vaccines in the Dominican Republic, belonging to the 45.03 % (7,308,793) to a first dose.
Some 6,081,386 citizens completed a second dose.
From the third dosethe number of vaccinated drops drastically, since only 2,532,181 people took a booster dose41.6% of those who already had both vaccines initially recommended, a scheme that was extended until reaching a fifth dose that is available in the 324 Covid posts that remain in force throughout the national geography.
Vaccines still available
According to the director of Immunopreventables by Vaccines, Aida Lucia Vargas“have vaccines enough for the population, either starting scheme or completing scheme”.
Although she did not specify the number of biologics available, the expert in vaccines explained that There are no lots about to expire.
“No, we don’t have to win, quite the opposite. The pharmaceutical company and, we have the endorsement of the FDA (Food and Drug Administration of the United States), has postponed the expiration date of the vaccine”, he assured during the most recent weekly meeting with members of the press organized by the Ministry of Health.
He explained that at vaccines they are doing potentiality tests “And at this moment we do not have any vaccine to expire or in the coming months either.”
covid infections
Bulletin 1,068 issued by the General Directorate of Epidemiology (Digepi) reports as of February 19, 222 active cases of Covid in the country and a positivity rate of 3.31%.
