While many countries and territories in the region are on track to reach 70% vaccination coverage against COVID-19, twenty-one have yet to reach half their population
Washington DC, March 16, 2022 (PAHO) – As vaccination against COVID-19 continues to expand in the Americas, countries must continue to focus on protecting the most vulnerable, such as the elderly, the immunosuppressed, the health workers and other high-risk groups, said today the Deputy Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Jarbas Barbosa.
“Infections and deaths from COVID-19 are declining in most of our region, but there are still too many cases and deaths each day, a clear indication that transmission is not yet controlled,” Dr. Barbosa said in a statement. Press conference.
Since the SARS-CoV-2 virus arrived in the Americas two years ago, 149 million cases have been reported and 2.6 million people have died from COVID-19.
PAHO’s Deputy Director also warned that the current increase in cases in other regions of the world should serve as a “warning” for the Americas.
New infections have increased by 28.9% in the Western Pacific region, 12.3% in the African region, and almost 2% in the European region. “The virus puts us all at risk,” he added. “This is why we must continue to strive to close the equity gap and protect the most vulnerable with COVID-19 vaccines.”
Dr. Barbosa noted that while many countries and territories are on track to meet the WHO’s COVID-19 vaccination target of 70%, and eight have vaccinated more than 80% of their population, 21 have not yet. They have vaccinated half of their population. “We still have a lot of work ahead of us to improve our resilience to COVID-19,” he said.
PAHO’s Deputy Director also highlighted that the response to the pandemic has generated a decades-long setback in routine immunization programs, with coverage against polio and measles falling to 1994 levels.
“COVID-19 showed us, once again, that vaccines are the most important tool to control infectious diseases and save lives,” he remarked. “Yet in just two years, we have reversed nearly three decades of progress on polio and measles,” she said.
Vaccination coverage to prevent other diseases has also lagged behind, and diphtheria and yellow fever threaten to resurface unless countries take urgent action, warned Dr. Barbosa.
Vaccination of girls and adolescents against the human papillomavirus (HPV), which prevents cervical cancer, has also stalled across the region due to school disruptions.
Although many countries restarted measles, rubella and polio campaigns in 2021, and at least eight countries are planning follow-up measles campaigns this year, maintaining high coverage is “essential to secure the future of our children and allow our region to prosper,” he said.
PAHO’s Deputy Director called for strong political and technical leadership at the national and local levels to increase routine vaccination coverage and urged countries to build on COVID-19 vaccination efforts to rapidly deploy other essential vaccines, including the vaccine against the flu.
“We can’t waste time,” he stressed. “We have the experience, tools and knowledge to catch up on missed vaccinations, prevent illness and protect our families today and in the future.”
PAHO “will work with the countries of the region to carry out coordinated national campaigns during Vaccination Week in the Americas”, which will take place from April 23 to 30, 2022, and the PAHO Revolving Fund is ready to “follow supporting countries with the purchase of routine vaccines,” he added.
Regarding the situation of COVID-19 in the region, Dr. Barbosa reported that cases in the Americas reached 901,000 in the last seven days, a decrease of 19% compared to the previous week. However, increases in cases were observed in the islands of the Caribbean and the Atlantic Ocean, where cases increased by 56.6%.
Deaths decreased by 18.4%, to 15,523, with all subregions registering declines, from 6.9% in the Caribbean to 27.9% in Central America.
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