Andina

Peru: EsSalud chief supervises COVID-19 vaccination of 104-year-old woman citizen

Photo: ANDINA/Vidal Tarqui

Photo: ANDINA/Vidal Tarqui

11:29 | Lima, Mar. 8.

Maria Eudocia Araya de Montenegro is 104 years old. On Monday morning, she became the first insured person affiliated to the Social Health Insurance System's (EsSalud) Home Care Program (Padomi), who received the Pfizer vaccine against COVID-19.

EsSalud Executive-President Fiorella Molinelli personally oversaw the procedure and reaffirmed her commitment to vaccinating all older adults affiliated to the social security system.

For many years, Araya de Montenegro worked in a factory where she took care of the employees' children. She always showed affection to them. In fact, she not only had 10 children (now grown-ups) herself but currently enjoys the affection of her 20 grandchildren, 8 great-grandchildren, and 4 great-great-grandchildren.

Three of her adult children are currently taking care of her in her house located in Lima's Lince district, where the EsSalud mobile vaccine arrived.

With great diligence, the senior citizen was evaluated by a physician and finally vaccinated by an institution's nurse.


The EsSalud team hopes to inoculate 600 patients per day. All of them will be previously notified and their appointments confirmed via phone calls to the numbers registered during the EsSalud Te Cuida (EsSalud takes care of you) platform's data form update.

It must be noted that the nurses in charge of home vaccination were previously trained in the technique of administering the Pfizer vaccine. This requires a special cold chain, in addition to a time-controlled logistics process since —once opened— it only has a useful life of 6 hours.

The Pfizer vaccine —which recently arrived in Peru— has the particularity of being a "multi-dose." It means that up to 6 insured persons can be vaccinated from each vial. This implies that the personnel rely on precision, not only for dividing the parts of the container, but also for arriving at the homes of EsSalud affiliates on time.

Data update for vaccination

With the collaboration of family members, who can help promptly update the data of the elderly people who reside with them at home, EsSalud is expected to reach out to the 11,700 insured citizens nationwide in the shortest possible time.

(END) NDP/SRE/MVB

Published: 3/8/2021