Organizations urge the Mexican government to address the lag in the general vaccination of minors

EFE.- The organization Save the Children and dozens of civil society associations asked this Tuesday the government of Mexico serve the serious lag in basic vaccination schemes, considering that this endangers the life and health of children in the country.

“The vaccination It is a human right and must be guaranteed for all people,” they denounced in a statement.

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These statements come after, last week, the National Health Survey (Ensanut) 2021 reported that only 27.5% of one-year-old children had the complete vaccination schedule in 2021, when in 2015 the complete schedule was 97.2% and 57% in 2020.

“In early childhood (0 to 5 years of age) the vaccines they are fundamental for the survival of girls and boys, since at this stage it is necessary to strengthen their immune system and form antibodies against diseases that could be fatal”, they recalled.

They also said that every year they die in Mexico little more than 30,000 people under 5 years of age, the majority due to preventable causes with health interventions such as vaccination.

“In addition to protecting the survival and health of children, vaccination represents important savings for public health. For example, it reduces up to 75% the expenses of diseases caused by intestinal infections”, they specified.

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They pointed out that among the reasons why the coverage of vaccination are so low, the irregular supply of vaccines, false contraindications, myths and beliefs, infrastructure problems and the lack of a nominal follow-up system stand out.

According to a survey conducted by Save the Children In communities in the south of the country, the main reason why girls and boys do not have their vaccines is due to the lack of them.

But there is also the lack of time for mothers and fathers to take minors to health units, the lack of supplies or personnel to administer the vaccines, and causes related to Covid-19.

In this context, the organizations called urgent al Government of Mexico to establish and implement an emerging plan to address and reverse the lags in vaccination.

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In the same way, they demanded that sufficient and labeled resources be allocated in the 2023 expenditure budget to implement said plan and improve infrastructure, as well as guarantee the timely purchase of vaccines and ensure their efficient distribution throughout the country, including to the most remote communities. and marginalized.

They also called for strengthening vaccination campaigns and reinforce the role of the educational system, as they are favorable spaces to carry out inoculation days.

In addition, they requested to reform the General Law on the Rights of Girls, Boys and Adolescents, the General Law on Health and the Law on Education in matters of vaccination.

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