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Policy and Rights PAHO Update in the Caribbean
Published 4 years, 1 month ago
Description
Low vaccination coverage in many countries of the Caribbean must be urgently addressed to stop the spread of COVID-19 and protect the most vulnerable, warned PAHO Director, Carissa F. Etienne, with health care workers and the elderly remaining particularly at risk.
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, she said at a media briefing today.
Vaccine hesitancy, a lack of vaccination centers in remote areas, insufficient staff numbers, and limited cold-chain infrastructure remain huge barriers to vaccination in many islands, but we now have the tools “to turn the tide on vaccinations in the Caribbean.”
With 700 million people now vaccinated in Latin America and the Caribbean, there are “real-word data to show that vaccines are safe and effective against COVID-19,” the PAHO Director said. But interventions must now be tailored to the needs of those that remain vulnerable in each country.
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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, she said at a media briefing today.
Vaccine hesitancy, a lack of vaccination centers in remote areas, insufficient staff numbers, and limited cold-chain infrastructure remain huge barriers to vaccination in many islands, but we now have the tools “to turn the tide on vaccinations in the Caribbean.”
With 700 million people now vaccinated in Latin America and the Caribbean, there are “real-word data to show that vaccines are safe and effective against COVID-19,” the PAHO Director said. But interventions must now be tailored to the needs of those that remain vulnerable in each country.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/policy-and-rights--3339563/support.