Peru's Health Minister Pilar Mazzetti on Friday encouraged the population to participate in the National Vaccination Campaign starting tomorrow, October 10.
"Our children have to be protected. We have already seen too many people suffering because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it would be extremely hard if there were an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease," she stated.
The health sector's head noted that Peru's vaccination rates have reached 90% in recent years, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, the figures have fallen to 40% on average, which poses a real danger to children.
In a bid to raise awareness on the importance of vaccination, Mazzetti explained that a person infected with COVID-19 can transmit the SARS-CoV-2 virus to 3.2 people, but a child with measles can infect 16.
The minister remarked that Peru has one of the best vaccination schemes in Latin America, with 17 vaccines that can prevent up to 26 diseases, such as tuberculosis, pneumococcus, tetanus, rubella, chicken pox, polio, whooping cough, among others.
According to the government official, the National Vaccination Campaign —which is expected to begin on October 10-11— will also serve to verify the functioning of the COVID-19 vaccination strategy, regarding the cold chain, the placement of vaccination points through a georeferenced information system, and the use of a vaccination app.
For his part,
Deputy Public Health Minister Luis Suarez stressed the need to increase the vaccination coverage to prevent deaths from eventual outbreaks of measles, polio, and other diseases that, although eradicated, could come back.
(END) NDP/LIT/RMB
Published: 10/9/2020