As of stats for 26 July 2022, 189,858 people have received the fourth dose of Covid-19 vaccine, reports Listin Diario. The second booster shot is usually a second Pfizer vaccine. Most people in the Dominican Republic have at least two Sinovac vaccinations. Pfizer vaccines have been used for the third and fourth boosters.
The booster is not a way to avoid catching the disease. Medics say it is a way to ensure you will not be hospitalized in an intensive care unit. The fourth dose is available since May 2021 on a voluntary base. The government recommends it for people over 50 and vulnerable people.
Listin Diario reported that on average vaccination centers are applying around 4,600 daily applications of all doses.
From February 2021 to date in the country a total of 15,865,525 doses of vaccines against the Covid-19 virus have been applied, of which 7,252,040 are first doses, 6,014,146 second doses and 2,409,481 are booster shots.
Deputy Minister of Collective Health, Eladio Pérez says vaccination centers continue to apply the vaccine and the Ministry has an active house-to-house vaccination effort. Dr. Pérez attributes the low local Covid-19 fatality rate to the application of the Sinovac vaccine.
Ministry of Public Health staff are urging people to focus on other immunization issues. Dr. Lucia Vargas, director of the Expanded Program of Immunization (PAI), highlighted the vigilance maintained by the country to reduce the risk of an imported case of poliomyelitis. She said polio coverage in the country is at 88.5%. So far this year, 82,508 children under one year have been immunized. She says the public health goal is to increase polio immunization to 95%.
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Listin Diario
28 July 2022