In the World Immunization Week, the infectologist and medical director of the Sinovac study in Chile, Katia Abarca, stresses that the vaccine against covid-19 is safe, effective and indispensable to help control the pandemic.
Currently, almost 8 million people have received the first dose of the vaccine against covid-19, reaching a coverage of 49.3% of the target population, while almost 6 million people have already received the two doses, making Chile one of the countries that is making the most rapid progress in the inoculation process against the coronavirus.
According to Katia Abarca, an infectologist and medical director of the Sinovac study in Chile, the drop in hospitalizations due to covid-19 in patients over 70 years of age is an indicator of the effects of vaccination. "If we talk about hard science, we don't know, but it is an indicator. To me it's an indicator that the vaccine is protecting them from what we expect it to protect them from which is severe disease and falling into the hospital. As the age decreases, that reduction is lost and it coincides with the vaccination schedule, so one can really assume that it is an effect of the vaccination," he assures.
In the World Immunization Week, the doctor and professor of the Catholic University calls on the population to go to the vaccination centers according to the calendar prepared by the Ministry of Health, and stresses that the vaccine is safe, effective and free of charge.
"We are a privileged country, we have the availability to vaccinate ourselves. There are very advanced countries that do not have that capacity and several others that are much further behind. We have this great benefit free of charge and the truth is that although the efficacy is not 100%, it will certainly help and it is much better than not getting vaccinated and being exposed to a serious disease and eventually dying", he points out and points out that the vaccine not only helps people individually, but also contributes to the control of the pandemic at a national level.
The expert is cautious about projections to achieve herd immunization, since this virus has shown dynamism with its new variants. For this reason, the call is to get vaccinated and to continue with self-care measures such as the use of masks and alcohol gel, frequent hand washing, keeping distance between people and ventilating spaces, as well as respecting the sanitary restrictions in force.
"It is very important to maintain self-care measures, because as has already been said, the Sinovac vaccine does not prevent all infections, it prevents more or less half of the infections, so we can get infected, but normally that infection will be mild, we will be able to stay at home, it can even be asymptomatic. But we can transmit it to other people, that is why the self-care measures must remain exactly the same", he specifies.
In addition, at the same time, the influenza immunization campaign has already begun. The doctor recognizes the great effort made by the vaccinatories, primary health centers and municipalities to carry out a double vaccination, and calls for vaccination, taking into consideration that the dose against influenza should be injected at least 14 days after receiving the dose against the coronavirus.
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