The Decline in Demand for Covid-19 Vaccines and the Changing Criteria for Vaccination: Implications and Warnings from Health Authorities

If you look at the National Vaccination Monitor, you can see that the demand for vaccines for Covid-19 has been in sharp decline: in Mendoza, between one booster and another, two-thirds of coverage has been lost. It is the alternative to having a measure, although in the province they assure, as they have done since it was implemented, that it is not an effective tool. They maintain that the criteria has changed and now it is considered an applied dose and not a reinforcement, as Nación continues to maintain. Thus, it is taken that a vaccination scheme is up to date when a dose has been applied in a close period that is less than a year for the general population and every six months in the case of those with risk factors.

Health authorities and specialists have been warning about the relaxation of prevention measures, which may imply favoring contagion. This includes vaccination.

They warn about the importance of receiving at least one annual dose of the Covid vaccine Photo: Orlando Pelichotti / Los Andes

“We are not talking about reinforcements anymore, the vaccination monitor is already obsolete because reinforcements have not been counted for at least two months (beyond the fact that they continue to place it there), now applied doses are counted,” explained Iris Aguilar, Director of Immunizations of the province. The specialist pointed out that there is no record at the local level that allows us to know what proportion of inhabitants has the calendar up to date, but she did assure that it is clearly the young, as has always happened, who arrive the least. Meanwhile, those over 60 are the ones who keep up the most, which is good given that age is a risk factor.

“Between the ages of 25 and 35 are the ones who attend the least to get vaccinated,” he said.

“The logic has changed, if you are over fifty or immunosuppressed you have to give yourself a dose every six months regardless of the number of boosters you have given yourself,” he remarked.

According to data from the National Ministry of Health, more than 36 million people with a complete primary schedule did not receive booster doses in the last 6 months.

Aguilar stressed: “We insist on vaccination, especially in those over 50 and in the immunosuppressed, because they are the people who are at risk of complications and require hospitalization.” On the other hand, the doctor stressed that no one has the care they had in the middle of the pandemic and one must think that Covid is going to be part of an annual respiratory infection, like any other respiratory virus.

He also said that the vaccines they are placing are the latest available: the Moderna and Pfizer bivariate vaccine.

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2023-09-06 03:00:00
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