Portugal 20th in boosting Covid vaccination. “We lowered our arms when we shouldn’t”
See too:
The president of the Ordem dos Médicos believes that Portugal’s mode performance without boosting the vaccination against a Covid-19 is explained by the severe brake on the process, after the departure of Henrique Gouveia and Melo from the coordination.
If it is true that the country appears on the podium of primary vaccination, already in reinforcement, Portugal appears in 20th position.
“We lowered our arms at a time when we shouldn’t have lowered our arms,” says Miguel Guimarães, speaking to Renaissance.
For the Chairman of the Medical Association, “we have a fantastic performance under the leadership of, now, Admiral Gouveia e Melo and the truth is that when 87% of the vaccinated population was reached – which was almost everyone, minus 2% or 3% who refused to be vaccinated – people stopped”.
On the other hand, the president recalls that the replacement of Gouveia e Melo was a time-consuming process, “that is, at the time, it was not known who was replacing him, Dr. Graça Freitas came to assume this situation, but the truth is is that it stopped. And the number of people we needed to boost the vaccine was, in fact, many people.”
“Play the rebate” and complete the job
Former Health Minister Adalberto Campos Fernandes presents a different angle: on the one hand, he says, the slowdown in the process of boosting vaccines is due to “a certain tiredness” of people, associated with what he says was “a minor commitment and less focus on organizational issues, mixed with the festive period, with the closure of some centers “during December.
For Adalberto Campos Fernandes, it is essential now to “look forward”, “play the rebate” and finish the work that remains.
“There is a positive expression of protection against serious illness caused by Omicron in people who have all three doses and, secondly, there is, in some countries, an association of moderate concern between the flu virus and Covid-19 . This only reinforces the idea that it is not good to delay the vaccination of older people and that it is time to ring a discount and finish the work that remains to be done”.
This Wednesday, the experts will meet again at Infarmed to diagnose the current moment of the pandemic in Portugal and to point out paths for policy makers.
For the Chairman of the Medical Association, it is essential to accelerate vaccination and simplify prophylactic isolation procedures.
In terms of vaccination, because “we have about 480 thousand people aged 65 who have not yet received a booster dose”.
“Prudence” and “adult speech” to ease restrictions
In the case of isolations, because, “at this moment, we know, with certainty that we can have seven days [de isolamento], but until we can go to the five days, as in the Azores and Madeira. Because a person, when positive, is very infectious two days before having symptoms and up to three days after having symptoms. Therefore, at this time, everything that is to streamline processes is essential “, defends the President of the Medical Association.
Adalberto Campos Fernandes reflects on Miguel Guimarães’ arguments and says it is important to reinforce vaccine protection and to look realistically at the current pandemic: “with prudence, and with a speech for adults, it will be possible to alleviate as a restriction even the legislative ones”.
“We are going to project the next three weeks in which, simultaneously, there has to be more efficiency in the vaccination process, but at the same time, also looking at the data that we have – which is very objective data – that allow us to move towards a period of greater normality in people’s lives. The issues of isolation, tests, restrictions on freedom, all of this we are in conditions of reverence with moderate prudence”, concludes Adalberto Campos Fernandes.