- The Undersecretary of Health indicated that it is a lie that there are problems with the coverage of biologicals in Mexico.
- The budget of the National Vaccination Program for this 2023 had an increase of more than one billion pesos compared to the previous cycle.
- Three years after the first case of Covid-19 in Mexico, the behavior pattern of this disease is expected to stabilize.
Over the past few months, questions have been raised about the National Vaccination Program in Mexico. All part of the complaints that several people have presented when affirming that there are not enough biologics in hospitals to protect against various diseases. This situation reached the health authorities, who completely deny that this scenario is real.
The first to respond was the Undersecretary of Health, Hugo López-Gatell Ramírez, who said that by 2023, three thousand 250 million pesos were assigned to said program. The figure represents an increase of 34.7 percent over the previous year, which was two thousand 120 million pesos.
He clarified that the Universal vaccination program includes all biologicals for children and adolescents. The amount purchased in this six-year term to maintain the supply is similar to that of previous years, adjusted for the size of the population. He indicated that in 2020 there was an advance forecast that allowed vaccines to be maintained for 2021 and the surpluses of one year can be used in the next because they have long expiration periods.
National Vaccination Program is firm and stable
He mentioned that the misinformation to confuse and make believe that there is a problem with vaccination or an imminent threat of infectious disease is associated with the intent to raise alarm and concern to induce government purchases of products such as vaccines under the compulsion of commercial interests.
The official explained that the vaccination coverage reported in 2019 corresponds to the past six-year term. In 2019 and 2020, the deficit in the supply by pharmaceutical companies affected coverage. While during 2020 the pandemic reduced the population’s approach to vaccination centers, which began to recover in 2021.
Regarding vaccines against COVID-19, he specified that the budget was adjusted because in 2023 universal immunization is not required as was done in the emergency stage, since the protection of the immune system of people in Mexico possibly exceeds 90 percent, according to the results of the National Health and Nutrition Survey (Ensanut) that will be released.
Current panorama of the pandemic
For his part, he pointed out that three years after the first case of COVID-19 in Mexico, the pattern of disease behavior will stabilize after a series of surges in the number of people sick, hospitalized and killed.
He explained that the behavior of COVID-19 in Mexico is similar to that of all countries and it is foreseeable that it will occur on an annual basis, possibly in cold seasons, similar to that of viruses that affect the respiratory system, such as influenza.
The Undersecretary for Prevention and Health Promotion said that since the third wave of the epidemic, it has been identified that the protection acquired by infection and vaccination decreases the risk of serious illness and death.
He recalled that the people most at risk of developing severe disease are those who have not been vaccinated. The biological is the most important instrument to reduce damage.
In epidemiological week eight, which corresponds to February 19-25, a daily average of 1,827 cases per week and nine deaths. Hospital occupancy of general beds is at six percent and beds with intensive care equipment at one percent.
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