The Ministry of Health reports that, in the context of the exponential increase in cases in recent days and after a working meeting held by the health authorities, headed by the Minister of Health, Natividad Nassif, it was resolved to enable new permanent vaccination centers , implement the recommendation of the Nation for the placement of booster doses from 4 months to the entire population older than 18 years and redefine the criteria for swabbing in the testing centers.
New permanent vaccination centers
Two new vaccinations will be enabled in the Capital City, which will operate from Monday, January 10, at the Judicial Club facilities (566 Misiones street) and at the Humanist High School Sports Facility (Av. Pedro León Gallo and Entre Ríos). They will be open from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. The opening of new vaccination centers in the city of La Banda will be announced shortly. In this sense, the Minister of Health, Lic. Nassif, insisted on “the importance of attending the vaccination centers to complete the vaccination schedule, in order to increase the protection of the population to have immunity and have one more factor of defense against the risk of contracting the disease ”.
New recommendation for booster dose application
In accordance with the provisions, the National Immunization Commission (CoNaIn) recommended the application of the booster dose to the entire population 18 years of age or older, at least 4 months (120 days) after completing the initial scheme of Sputnik, Moderna, Astrazeneca, Sinopharm, Pfizer, or a dose of Cansinos. Consequently, vaccination operations will be carried out during the days of January 12, 13 and 14, to guarantee access to vaccination. The places where it will take place will be announced shortly.
Likewise, given the scientific evidence available at the moment on the dynamics of antibody production generated by the disease caused by SARS CoV-2 and the interference that this could cause in the production of antibodies by vaccination, it was recommended to postpone the application of 90 days the booster dose in those who are confirmed as cases of COVID-19 (symptomatic or asymptomatic) at the time of completing the interval of at least 4 months from the application of the initial scheme.
Population swab criteria
Regarding the epidemiological situation in the province, the minister stated that “the Delta variant is being displaced by Ómicron, producing mild and moderate situations in terms of the severity of the cases. Given that transmission has been exponential in the short term, it is necessary to make this type of decision that ensures, on the one hand, the completion of the vaccination schedule and, on the other, a timely diagnosis ”.
Regarding who can request a swab, it was defined in a national consensus that only people who must travel for health reasons, and people who have one or more symptoms compatible with COVID-19, that is, fever greater than 37.5, dry cough, will be swabbed. , sore throat, rhinitis, lack of taste and / or smell, headache.
If the person has symptoms compatible with COVID-19 and had close contact with a positive case, it is not strictly necessary to perform a test to confirm the diagnosis, since, in the face of such high viral circulation, confirmation can be established by clinical and epidemiological link.
Finally, it was agreed that swabbing is not indicated for people who have had close contact with a confirmed case, but do not present symptoms, for which they should only perform the corresponding preventive isolation.
In this sense, the Director of APS, Dra. Tarchini, remarked that since Monday, January 3, all UPAS and CAPS, in the capital city and La Banda, have joined the existing ones as swab centers; serving Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. no shift.