He is already applying the third dose and preparing the vaccination for boys between 3 and 12 years old

From the early morning hours of Wednesday, hundreds of people began arriving at the thousands of vaccinations all over Chile to receive their third dose, or the second for the youngest, depending on the schedule. The Trans-Andean country is a regional and global leader in vaccine coverage against Covid 19. And it is already planning vaccinate boys between 3 and 12 years old.

The target population is 15,200,840 people, where 82.44% of the population was vaccinated with both doses.

On Thursday, July 29, the country met the goal of reaching 80% of the target population with the complete vaccination.

It was at the Chilean Air Force hospital, the same place where President Sebastián Piñera received one of his vaccines, the place where the “let’s go” to the massive reinforcement campaign.

It is a reinforcement, because this is what the Chilean Ministry of Health prefers to call it, because “we also have single dose vaccines, like Cansino, and in this case the reinforcement will be the second dose, ”explained portfolio minister Enrique Paris.

Piñera stressed that “we started vaccination in Chile on December 24 of last year. Chile was one of the first countries in the world and also in Latin America to initiate a vaccination process, because the vaccine is one of the best instruments we have to protect us from this pandemic which has caused so much damage. “

10% were not vaccinated

However, he had words for those 10% of Chileans who did not want to be vaccinated, either by skepticism or by irresponsibility.

“It’s also true that we have 1,800,000 left. And I want to tell you once and for all, how you can be so stubborn that you don’t realize that not getting the vaccine not only puts your life at risk, but also the life of all those around you, members of your family, your close relations. . , his friends and colleagues, ”he told them.

The schedule provides that this week they will receive their third dose people over 79, while the next will be extended to over 55s.

AstraZeneca Booster

All those receive the AstraZeneca vaccine as a booster, which in clinical trials have shown that reactive up to 3 times the neutralizing antibodies of those who have already started to lose them over time.

In total, it is estimated that around 2 million will be inoculated with a third dose during these first 15 days of the campaign.

These reinforcements were decided after a study showed that the vaccine efficacy he fell six months after the start of the vaccination campaign.

Vaccination for the youngest

It is no secret that Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Sinovac and other laboratories they are in full study how the vaccine works in children aged 3 to 12 years. Countries expect, however, that patients none had dared say when the inoculation of this group of miners could begin.

However, the Chilean Minister of Health, Enrique Paris, dared to give a tentative date and it generated the expectation of parents.

“We are looking at the studies that Butantan did (in Brazil) and that the Catholic University (in Chile) is doing with Sinovac for children between 3 and 11 years old. And, God willing, this age group it could start in October or the end of October, for the peace of mind of mothers, because it is also very important that young children get vaccinated, “he said.

The highest health authority in the country, including Was beyond and gave details of what the process would look like, noting that the role of colleges and public schools it will be essential.

“It would make it easier for the children to go to school, because for us, it is much easier to go to school, as we traditionally do, and to vaccinate at school,” he explained.

It should be noted that Chile performs one of these clinical studies in minors, Sinovac, at the Catholic University, consolidating the close link that has been woven between the government, this university and the Chinese Laboratory.

The latter announced last week the construction of a vaccine plant and another for research and development. in Santiago and Antofagasta, respectively.

It is a project that plans to generate 60 million doses of vaccines against different diseases for all of Latin America.

Santiago, special for Clarin

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