Chile banned AstraZeneca’s second doses in men under 45

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Health authorities in Chile reported Monday that they would ban second doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine in men under 45 years of age, who will receive Pfizer to finalize their immunization starting this week.

“For those (men) under 45 who already received a dose from AstraZeneca, it was determined that they complete their vaccination with Pfizer,” said the undersecretary of Health, Paula Daza.

Chile is carrying out one of the most successful immunization processes against COVID-19 in the world: 59.2% of the target population has already been inoculated with two doses, which means that all those over 20 years of age have been voluntarily called up. As of this week, the process will begin with minors.

Despite this, the country has been experiencing a worsening of the pandemic for several weeks, which has led to the quarantine of all Santiago since last Saturday and to extend the state of health alert for another three months, until September 30.

The health alert, clarified by the authorities, allows some restrictive measures to be taken with respect to the pandemic but does not imply that the State of Emergency will be extended, which must be proposed by the President and approved in Parliament and which allows, among other things, the militarization of the streets.

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In the last 24 hours, intensive care unit (ICU) occupancy stood at over 95%, with 3,290 patients in serious condition (one of the highest figures since the virus arrived), which means that only 160 critical beds remain a free country.

In addition, there were 6,234 infections and 97 deaths, leaving the total balance of the pandemic at more than 1.46 million cases and 30,804 deaths and a national positivity rate -number of positive PCR tests per 100 performed- of 8 percent.

The Ministry of Health informed that 73% of the infections registered last week corresponded to people who had not completed their vaccination.

The country has maintained a state of emergency for catastrophe for more than a year, a curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., and the borders closed until June 30.

Yesterday, Chile surpassed for the fourth consecutive day the barrier of 7,000 new infections of covid-19 after adding 7,529 contagions and 128 deaths that leave the total balance of the pandemic in more than 1.46 million cases and 30,707 deaths.

The country is experiencing the most critical moment since the beginning of the pandemic, a situation similar to the second wave of March and April, which has the country with intensive care units (ICU) on the verge of collapse and with the capital confined since Saturday to prevent the spread of the virus.

Even though the country is carrying out one of the most successful vaccination processes in the world, almost 60% of the target population has already received two doses, in the last 24 hours, there were only 180 critical beds available and 3,292 patients in serious condition, one of the highest figures since the virus arrived.