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Today marks one year of that indelible moment for history: Araceli, 96 years old and resident in a center for the elderly, became the first Spanish to be vaccinated against the coronavirus in Spain and expressed the desire that the virus would leave us in peace.
His wish, which was everyone’s, has not yet been fulfilled if one takes into account that Spain is immersed in the sixth wave of the pandemic and that families are living Christmas again amid records of infections and uncertainty.
Precisely in the nursing homes, where Araceli was vaccinated, COVID continues to advance. According to the data, in the last week counted from December 13 to 19, 29 people have died (24 seven days before) and there are 613 infected (392), although the increase in the incidence of infection is less than in the rest of the population.
Carmen Carbone, the nurse who administered the vaccine to AraceliRemember that day with great enthusiasm. “It was a very big day and at that moment I was not aware of the importance that the vaccine was going to have and of the illusion that we were transmitting to all homes,” he explains. “When I was most excited was when I saw the vial arrive, so small,” he adds.
The truth is that there are already almost 38 million Spaniards with double doses of the vaccine, around 80% of the population, that children have started the path to immunization and that a good part of those over 60 years of age already have them on. the booster dose.
The vaccine, which has hardly found any detractors in Spain, has saved, according to experts, 100,000 lives and it has prevented infections from being translated into hospitalizations and deaths.
Because although I knowu effectiveness decreases progressively over the monthsTo this day, protection continues to be high at all ages, especially in the prevention of hospitalization, where the risk reduction for those vaccinated is around 90%.
Having shown that group immunity was a chimera, experts and the Government focus on the need to accelerate the process.
The new goal is for 80% of the population between 60-69 years to be vaccinated with the third dose before the end of the year, between 50 and 59 years old in the week of January 24, and those between 40 and 49 years old in the first week of March.
In addition, it aspires that in the week of February 7, 70% of children between 5 and 11 years old have the first dose, and the second in that of April 19.
Behind the success of the Spanish vaccination campaign are experts in epidemiology, public health, primary care and nursing, among others, with whose representatives EFE has spoken about their work in the year of mass vaccination.
“The arrival of the vaccine was the most splendid and luminous clearing of the year. That image vaccinating Doña Araceli was deeply moving and will go down in the health history of our country. The darkest moment is that, Despite the fact that we have become the country with the most powerful coverage in the world, we have seen a sixth wave that is hitting hard, very hard, and that it will translate into a very complicated month of January “, sums up the President of the Spanish Association of Vaccination (AEV), Amós García Rojas.
García Rojas, who is one of the expert advisers on the vaccination strategy, confesses that he arrives at the end of the year “very tired” and somewhat disappointed because politicians put “all the eggs, or almost all” in the vaccination basket. of the fight against covid.
However, it values that Thanks to mass vaccination, it has been possible to mitigate not only deaths but also serious processes, although not infection.
“Vaccines work but they go as far as they go. We must put the accent on the preventive discourse that has been lost: mask, physical distance, hygiene and ventilation. And also that the health authorities take the appropriate measures in the closed spaces where we converge many people and we took off the mask, “he complains.
The effort of the professionals has been “tremendous” because the health system was “very weakened.” “The exercise of sensitivity of the Public Health professionals has been brilliant. We have put in many more hours than we could and should due to responsibility but that has caused us to be very tired, although willing to move on.”
In 2022, the Novavax vaccine will be incorporated, with great potential for developing countries – he says – that it is urgent to incorporate into the vaccination process.
“This is going to end, we are going to achieve it. This dramatic situation is going to end and we are going to try to make it sooner rather than later,” he confides.
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