Los Santos province heading race to ‘herd immunity’

The province of Los Santos is heading to be the first to achieve herd immunity against Covid-19 , according to the dose figures applied to date.

Ayvar Hernández, regional director of Health of the province, reported that in circuit 7-1 (Las Tablas, Guararé and Pedasí) 30,799 people are registered with two doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

By Sunday when the vaccination by sweeping ends in circuit 7-2 (districts of Los Santos, Macaracas and Tonosí), it is estimated that some 25,000 more people will be immunized with the second dose.

“Starting in September, we hope to have a decrease in cases because by the end of August we have 15 days of the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine and we can say that we have good immunity in the province of Los Santos,” said Hernández.

Health authorities have highlighted that herd or collective immunity is achieved when at least 70% of the population is vaccinated, which slows the advance of the virus.

People’s immunity is effective 15 days after the dose is applied.

According to projected figures, the Los Santos Health Region estimates that by the end of August about 85,000 people would have the complete vaccination cycle.

Estimates by the Comptroller’s Office show that in July 2020, the province of Los Santos has an approximate population of 95,000 people; in other words, 89.4% would be protected against the virus with two doses. The population under 12 years of age, which is not yet being vaccinated, is 13,152.