PAHO reports Caribbean Covid-19 vaccination inequalities

Washington, Feb 23 (Prensa Latina) Out of the 13 countries and territories in the Americas that have not yet reached WHO’s 2021 goal of 40% vaccination coverage, 10 are in the Caribbean, PAHO Director, Carissa F. Etienne said Wednesday.

February 23, 2022
19:33

Given the situation, this regional area with more than 44 million people, remains especially vulnerable to the Covid-19 pandemic, Ms. Etienne regretted.

In some countries, PAHO is working with governments to ensure that vaccination centers are closer to the people who need them the most, and that hours of operation are convenient for those that work.

Other nations are short-staffed, while doctors and nurses are experiencing serious burnout, said Ms. Etienne, who assured tools are available to change the course of immunization.

Nearly 700 million people in the Americas have been already fully vaccinated. Regarding the Caribbean, only more than 21 million have been fully vaccinated, according to PAHO.

The best decision to make for health is to get vaccinated against Covid-19, Ms. Etienne urged.

The pandemic is not over and a new variant can emerge at any time, she warned. mh/pll/car/znc