Covid-19: After protests, Bolivia resumes second-dose vaccination with Sputnik V (August 10)

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Bolivia on Tuesday (10) reported 788 new infections and 20 deaths due to Covid-19 in a day marked by protests at a number of vaccination posts, where the second dose administration of the Sputnik V vaccine was resumed.

The new cases of the disease were reported in the departments of Santa Cruz (300), Cochabamba (171) and Tarija (115), while in the other 6 regions infections ranged from 2 to 88.

For several days now, the number of coronavirus cases has remained below 1,000, which suggests that the country is emerging from the 3rd wave of infections that began in early May.

Yesterday, vaccination with the Sputnik V was resumed amid issues in cities such as La Paz and the capital city of Sucre, where there were lines and even isolated roadblocks due to the desperation of several people to be vaccinated with their second dose.

The work was developed amid disorganization and, in some cases, the absence of a schedule for the administration of the second vaccine doses, which were a couple of weeks late and exceeded the recommended 3-month interval between shots.

The government has stated that, based on information from the manufacturer, the guaranteed period reached up to 180 days.

The elderly and patients with chronic diseases who received the first dose in April and who have already exceeded the 3-month waiting period for the second dose were prioritized.

In a press conference, Health Minister Jeyson Auza said that 125,480 second doses were recently delivered to the country, although without the reception ceremonies typical of other shipments.

“All those who have received their first dose up to April 31 are guaranteed their second doses and on Saturday another similar amount is expected, thus ensuring the immunization of people who received their first doses last May,” the Minister stressed.

The vaccination process that began in late January has covered 2,949,156 first doses and 1,875,645 second doses among the 7.2 million people over 18 years of age included in the vaccine-eligible population.

Municipalities such as El Alto, the second largest in the country with 1 million inhabitants, which until recently reported a low level of immunization, have decided to set up up to 10 mass vaccination posts that will operate from Monday through Sunday.

Municipal buses will be used to transport people to vaccination posts, according to the Mayor of El Alto Eva Copa.

Since the start of the pandemic in March last year, 18,082 deaths and 479,459 confirmed cases of Covid-19 have been reported, of which 49,921 remain active.