Starting on Thursday, people over the age of 60 with chronic diseases can be vaccinated in an orderly process, under the new administrative order 2021-486 signed by the Secretary of the Department of Health, Carlos Mellado López. Administrative order no. 2021-486 will be extended for a period of 30 days and aims to prioritize the administration of vaccines to the most vulnerable population.
“We have managed to vaccinate 25% of the island’s older adults and we will continue our mission to vaccinate every person in Puerto Rico. However, with the arrival of more vaccines, it is important to start integrating other populations into an orderly process. Therefore, starting next week, the priority will be extended to those who are between 60 and 64 years old and who suffer from chronic diseases who receive the vaccine. It is important to emphasize that the number of vaccines we receive, despite the fact that it has increased, does not allow us to vaccinate all at the same time as we would like, we go slowly. ”, Explained Mellado López.
According to the conditions identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), these diseases are: cancer, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis or alpha1antitrispine deficiency), Down syndrome , heart disease (heart failure, coronary heart disease or cardiomyopathy) and immunocompromised condition (weakened immune system) as a result of an organ transplant. These guidelines are for all established vaccination centers, except those dedicated to the vaccination of education system staff.
The Secretary of Health stressed that the new population to be vaccinated must submit a medical report, which, in fact, certifies the patient’s condition and that they are among those exposed in the OA. “As long as the instructions remain the same, we continue to vaccinate exclusively adults over the age of 65 in all vaccine centers, without exception,” he said.
This administrative order orders DS inspectors to supervise all vaccination centers to examine their compliance, emphasizing that the vaccination phases adopted by the Department will be strictly continued. It is worth noting that the vaccination of adults over 65 years or over continues its course, as stipulated in Administrative Order no. 2021-480.
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