COVID-19: Uruguay approved third dose of vaccine for immunocompromised people

The Uruguayan Ministry of Public Health (MSP) announced on Tuesday that it will offer a third dose of the covid-19 vaccine to people with moderate immunosuppression and severe due to different pathologies.

Following the suggestion of the commission which advises the government on vaccination issues, the MSP decided “to offer a third dose of the vaccine against covid-19 to people with moderately and severely immunosuppressed”, the ministry said in a statement. .

The ministry explained that the decision is due “to the verification of the weaker immune response of this population to the primary vaccination schedule”.

Those who have received the Pfizer or Astrazeneca vaccines can be reinoculated one month after the second dose with a third injection of Pfizer.

As, those who have received the full schedule with the Chinese CoronaVac vaccine will be able to receive both doses of Pfizer.

Transplant recipients as well as hemodialysis patients will start receiving one hour for their third dose this week, the MSP detailed.

Almost five months after the start of the vaccination campaign, Uruguay has 72% of its population vaccinated with at least one dose against covid-19, while 61% have the full regimen.

The excellent vaccination rates go hand in hand with a sharp drop in infections, deaths and hospitalizations in intensive care due to covid which has been recorded since June.

The country of 3.5 million people has 2,467 active cases, a sharp drop from the peak reached at the end of May, when around 37,000 people suffered from the disease.

Likewise, after remaining for several weeks as the nation with the most daily deaths relative to its population, with a record 79 deaths on April 15, in the last 7 days it averages 6 deaths per day.

Gradually, the South American country regains its normality, with the total return to a presence in education, the reopening of performance halls – but with capacity and security protocols – and the return of public officials to office work.

However, the country’s borders continue to be closed to non-residents, with exceptions for diplomatic, personal or economic and professional reasons, with the express permission of the Executive.

Compared to the rest of the countries in the region, Uruguay is very well placed. It is only exceeded by Chile, which has already vaccinated with two doses at 62.19%. Colombia inoculated the two doses at 21.4%, Brazil at 17.42%, Argentina at 12.98%, Peru at 12.26%, Ecuador at 11.29%, Bolivia at 6.82%, Venezuela at 3.87% and Paraguay at 1.98%. Across the rest of the continent, Canada vaccinated with two doses at 54.15%, the United States at 48.57% and Mexico at 17.93%.

(With information from AFP)

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