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Only one in four people in Latin America and the Caribbean has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19: Pan American Health Organization

Posted: Wednesday, September 1, 2021. 2:44 pm CST.

By Aaron Humes: Latin America and the Caribbean has reached 25 percent full vaccination against COVID-19, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

But vaccination has been moving unevenly according to PAHO Director Dr. Carissa Etienne, speaking at a press briefing: “More than a third of countries in our region have yet to vaccinate 20 percent of their populations. And in some places, coverage is much lower.”

“Vaccination rates remain in the teens in the several Caribbean and South American countries and coverage is still in the single digits in Central American nations like Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua,” she continued.

Dr. Etienne said that in total, 540 million COVID-19 vaccine doses must be delivered to ensure that all countries in Latin America and the Caribbean can cover at least 60 percent of their populations. “So we must expand vaccine access in our region, especially in the places that are lagging,” she said.

In response to the shortage, PAHO has launched a fresh drive for donations. “We are working to draw the attention of developed countries to the urgent need to donate vaccines to Latin America and the Caribbean,” Dr. Etienne said.

In addition, PAHO is using its Revolving Fund to procure vaccines for member states. Already PAHO has received requests from 24 countries for COVID-19 vaccines, which will be available in the final quarter of this year and in 2022.

“We are also thinking ahead and making plans to significantly improve regional vaccine manufacturing capacity,” Dr. Etienne said. “Just last week, we launched a new platform that convenes, partners, around a shared vision of boosting state-of-the-art vaccine production in Latin America and the Caribbean.”

The first initiative under the platform is to facilitate the transfer to the region of the mRNA vaccine technology used in highly effective COVID-19 vaccines. PAHO has received 32 proposals from private and public companies that want to participate in the endeavor.

Dr. Etienne continued to urge countries to prioritize the most vulnerable for vaccination, such as the elderly, health workers, and those living with pre-existing conditions. Countries should make sure that logistics systems can absorb vaccine doses and cold chains can keep them cool and that health systems are ready to deliver doses fast once they arrive.

 

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