Colombia nears 1 M vaccines for healthcare workers and elderly

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Colombia is close to having administered 1 million coronavirus vaccines since the start of the mass vaccination campaign on February 17. With the first million of 65 million required to innoculate 70% of the population in 2021, the Ministry of Health enters Phase II at the end of the month with vaccines for persons under the age of 80.

The country is currently in Phase I for all those age 80 and older. In order to speed up the vaccination process, the country’s Health Minister Fernando Ruíz announced that as of Tuesday seniors residing in Bogotá will be able to visit the nearest vaccination center and get their first dose based on the final digit of their identity card – cédula.

The introduction of the Pico y cédula measure to attend to the elderly by separating them into two groups based on even and odd numbers comes as new coronavirus cases have decelerated in the Colombian capital, while at the same time, are increasing in the country’s second-largest city Medellín. “Pico y cédula allows the elderly to make a presential appointment at the health center of their choice and guarantees a vaccine for all,” stated Ruíz. Bogotá has 465 vaccination points operating between 6:00 am and 7:00 pm. “We aim to complete vaccination to the entire 80 and over age group by the end of the week,” confirmed the district’s Health Secretariat Alejandro Gómez.

On Monday, Colombia registered 2,740 additional cases of COVID-19, raising the national total to 2,305.884. The number of active cases lowered to 30,845. Bogotá saw its lowest single-day increase – 456 – since May last year.

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