Argentina starts vaccinating adolescents with risk factors

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On Tuesday, using Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine donated by the United States, Argentina began vaccinating adolescents aged 12 to 17 with risk factors, in most of its territory.

Vaccinations began following a meeting of Health Ministers from all national jurisdictions at the Federal Health Council (COFESA) which officially launched immunization for adolescents with priority conditions on Monday.

The city of Buenos Aires had 9,300 appointments scheduled for the first vaccination day in 4 posts, according to official data, and registrations are still open.

In the province of Buenos Aires, the most populous in the country, some 100,000 adolescents have begun their vaccinations at 153 posts, out of a total of 117,460 registered adolescents with comorbidities, according to official data.

The country’s 24 jurisdictions are duly stocked with doses to begin vaccination of this group after the distribution of some 900,000 doses on Wednesday last week, part of the 3.5 million Moderna vaccine doses recently donated by the United States.

In fact, the province of Neuquén last Saturday began vaccinating adolescents, inoculating 1,685 out of a total of 7,052 registered, according to Governor Omar Gutiérrez.

Argentina’s population aged 12 to 17 stands at approximately 4.25 million and it is estimated that between 20% and 25% of this group may have comorbidities.

The Ministry of Health foresees an initial target population of 900,000 adolescents, with 1.8 million doses needed to ensure the full vaccination schedule.

Adolescents suffering from diabetes, level 2 obesity, chronic cardiovascular disease, severe malnutrition, chronic renal disease, chronic respiratory disease, chronic liver disease, and with HIV will be prioritized for vaccination, according to official information.

In addition, patients on the waiting list for organ transplants and organ transplant recipients, cancer patients, patients with active tuberculosis, patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Down’s syndrome, patients with autoimmune diseases and/or immunosuppressive treatments, patients with primary immunodeficiencies and pregnant women will also be prioritized, as well as people living in nursing homes, with a single disability certificate, among others.

According to official data released on Tuesday, out of a total population of some 45 million, 32.7 million vaccine doses have been administered, with 7.3 million people inoculated with the second dose.