Tegucigalpa, Honduras
A nurse, who contracted covid-19 in 2020, and an internist were the first two Hondurans to be vaccinated against the deadly disease on Thursday, hours after 5,000 doses sent by Israel arrived in Tegucigalpa.
It is about auxiliary medical care Soraya ortega and Dr. Nolvin Guifarro, who were vaccinated at a medical center in Tegucigalpa, at a ceremony attended by Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, accompanied by Heads of Health Alba Consuelo Flores and Foreign Relations Lisandro Rosales, among other officials .
HERNÁNDEZ ANNOUNCES THE ARRIVAL OF 4 MILLION DOSES
The Honduran leader reiterated his gratitude to the people and the Government of Israel for the donation, which will immunize 2,500 people in the health system who are on the front lines in the fight against covid-19.
Hernández indicated that obtaining the first vaccines “was not easy”, because “it is a race between the countries that have money and those of us who are fighters”.
He added that he is next enter into a purchase agreement of four million doses, plus others expected to arrive between March and June to protect all Hondurans.
For immunize For 20% of the population of Honduras, a country with 9.5 million inhabitants, free vaccines are expected to arrive by the end of March under the Covax mechanism, promoted by the World and Pan American Health Organizations (WHO / PAHO).
The vaccines from the pharmaceutical company Moderna, which arrived on Thursday, will be applied to medical staff in hospitals in Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, Santa Rosa de Copán and Choluteca, in the center, north, west and south of the country.
immunization does not cover minors under 18 or pregnant women, health authorities reiterated.
NURSES VACCINATED BY DIABETES AND HYPERTENSION
The first vaccinated nurse on Thursday said that in addition to contracting covid-19 in May 2020, she suffers from diabetes, hypertension and is diabetic, a basic disease that poses a higher risk for people who contract the disease.
Excited, Soraya Ortega indicated that “with my heart in my hand, I tell you that I am waiting for this vaccine”, because “I needed it”.
Ortega thanked President Hernández for arranging vaccines with Israel, which sent another 5,000 doses to Guatemala, which came on the presidential plane from Honduras.
Doctor Nolvin Guifarro reported how painful it was for him to see patients dead in hospital wards and intensive care units due to covid-19.
He added that, given the high incidence of covid-19 cases in Honduras, which has more than 4,000 deaths and about 167,500 infections, he was afraid of getting the same. EFE