RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Today, February 1st, the municipality of Rio de Janeiro began vaccinating the elderly over 99 years of age against Covid-19. People aged 80 and over will be vaccinated until February 27th.
Immunization is being conducted in 236 family clinics and municipal healthcare centers, in addition to posts in the drive-thru system. According to the schedule, on each day of this first week there will be a specific age until reaching the elderly over 95, that is, on Tuesday, February 2nd, the elderly aged over 98 will be immunized; on Wednesday, February 3rd, those aged 97; on Thursday, February 4th, those aged 96, and so on.
In order to be vaccinated, the elderly must bring their ID card and, if possible, the vaccination booklet.
Drive-thru
Among the drive-thru stations, the largest, with a capacity to immunize over one thousand people per day, was set up at the State University of Health, in the district of Maracanã, in the northern part of the city. There, vaccines will be administered from 9 AM to 3 PM, from Monday to Friday.
Other drive-thru stations will operate on Saturdays, from 8 AM to 12 noon, at the polyclinics Lincoln de Freitas Filho, in Santa Cruz and Guilherme Manoel da Silveira in Bangu; at the Belizário Penna Municipal Health Center in Campo Grande; and at the Olympic Park in the west zone. There are drive-thru facilities in the Sambadrome, central Rio, the Cidade Universitária and in the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) campus, Botafogo, in the southern zone; in Madureira Park and in the Engenhão Stadium, northern zone.
Symbolic vaccination
Mayor Eduardo Paes and Municipal Health Secretary Daniel Soranz yesterday, January 31st, attended the ceremony that marked the beginning of vaccination of seniors over 80 years of age in Rio de Janeiro. Composer, singer, MPB researcher, visual artist and honorary president of Estação Primeira de Mangueira, Nélson Sargento, 96 years old, the interpreter of Seu Peru, from Escolinha do Professor Raimundo, Orlando Drummond, 101 years old, and three other seniors were vaccinated at Palácio da Cidade, in Botafogo, southern part of the capital.
According to Mayor Eduardo Paes, the start of vaccination was precisely for those who must be prioritized, the elderly. “It’s exciting to see Nelson Sargento, and to know that he will be able to continue living and singing his poetry; it’s exciting to see Seu Peru, a remarkable character of actor Orlando Drummond, who filled our lives with joy on TV and radio; it’s such a joy to see anonymous people who are so important to their families, their loved ones. Today is the day in which we start with the most important thing, which is vaccinating the elderly people first”, he said.
Paes added that the City Hall intends to extend vaccination to people aged up to 60, which will depend on the rate at which doses are received. “We hope that over the course of two months we will be able to vaccinate all people over 60 years of age, who are the most vulnerable population,” he said.
Composer Nélson Sargento was thrilled to be vaccinated and sang the first verses of the song “Agoniza mas não morre”, which he composed. He has plans to return to his routine in the near future. “I was thinking hard about this moment and thank God I am here. I’m missing the music. I’m here to be vaccinated and to be able to work” he commented, stressing that his wife, Evonete Matos, 71 years old, who accompanied him was still waiting for the vaccine. “She wants to be vaccinated right now, but she’s still a young woman,” he said smiling.
Actor Orlando Drummond, the first to be vaccinated at the Palácio da Cidade, considered the immunization a baptism. “I hope everyone has as much hope as I do,” he added.
Among the other three people vaccinated yesterday, housewife Neiva Gomes Brandão, 95, said she has been home crocheting since the outbreak of the pandemic: “I miss the beach and visiting friends. I wasn’t going anywhere. I am hoping that this campaign will be a success and that everyone can be vaccinated,” she added.
Housewife Dulcinéia Gomes Pedrada, 97, didn’t leave home either. “I even did my tests at home. Now life will improve,” she said expectantly.
For seamstress Sebastiana Farnezi da Conceição, 98, it was a special day. “My daughter even curled my hair so I could come for the vaccine. I’m sure I won’t get the disease,” she said.
Municipal Health Secretary Daniel Soranz assured that the city has enough doses for this vaccination stage. “We have the vaccines here in Rio for the start of this stage for the elderly,” he said, adding that the symbolic vaccination yesterday was a very exciting moment for society. “For anyone who will be able to vaccinate their grandparents, their parents, their family. Unfortunately, I could not. I lost my grandmother to Covid-19”.
For the bedridden elderly unable to be displaced to a vaccination site, the advice is to seek the reference unit and call for information. The team will proceed with the registration and will provide guidance on vaccination, which should be performed at home.
Niterói
In Niterói, in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro, the City Hall altered the vaccination calendar to also start immunizing elderly people over 90 today. The Crisis Office’s decision was based on the limited number of vaccine doses still available before the arrival of a new batch, scheduled for next Wednesday, February 3rd.
According to the Niterói Municipal Health Secretariat’s plan, doses will be administered in four polyclinics in the city: Barreto, Vital Brazil, Itaipu and São Lourenço. According to the municipal administration, the elderly over 90 should be prioritized because of their vulnerability.
“This group should be a priority in relation to healthcare professionals who are not in the frontline and are not in the risk group. Vaccination of healthcare professionals over 60 will be restarted as soon as new doses are delivered by the Ministry of Health to the city”, he reported.
Source: Agencia Brasil