Filenews 26 June 2021
The proportion of the population vaccinated with the 1st dose of COVID-19 vaccines reached 63.6% and, at the same time, 47.8% of the population has been fully vaccinated with the Johnson&Johnson monodosic vaccine or both doses of AstraZeneca vaccines, Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech.
Despite the increase in vaccination coverage, the proportion of vaccinated people in the 18-19 and 20-29 age groups remains fairly low. Only 27.3% of 18-19 year olds have received at least the 1st dose of the vaccine, while at ages 20-29 vaccination coverage reached 35.1%. It is recalled that the corresponding percentages last week were 25.8% and 32.9%.
Vaccination of the ages 30-39 is constantly moving, with the rate at 52.3%. In the age groups of 40-49, 50-59 and 60-69,the vaccination rate is at a very high level, having reached 72.5%, 71.6% and 81.6% respectively. Even higher is the rate at ages 70-79 (91.3%) and 80 years of age and older (91.8%).
High vaccination coverage in people over 40 has led to a large reduction in the number of cases at these ages, with attention currently focused on people aged 18-39. In recent times, more than 75% of the positive cases detected are people under 40 years of age, of whom 43% are people aged 18-39, with no vaccination history. Even more worrying is the fact that in hospitals, there is an increase in cases of young people who are seriously morbid and in many cases require hospitalization in Increased Care or Intensive Care Units.
The median age of those hospitalised is 54 years and more than 90% of those hospitalized have not been vaccinated.
The detection of the Indian mutation, which has been shown to be much more contagious even than the British strain of the virus, makes the need for vaccination of young people even more urgent. Studies in England and Scotland have shown that unvaccinated and young people are more prone to the Indian mutation and have twice the risk of serious illness and hospitalisation. At the same time, ECDC finds that vaccination with both doses of both AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is effective and prevents hospitalizations (92% and 96% respectively).
In relation to vaccination coverage by Province, Paphos continues to be in first place with 72.9% of its population having received at least the 1st dose of the vaccine. Similarly, in Nicosia the coverage is 64.5%, Famagusta 64.1%, Limassol 61.2% and Larnaca 59.4%.
The safe functioning of business and social activity depends significantly on the epidemiological picture recorded. At European Union level, but also in third countries such as Russia and the United Kingdom, on which the tourism industry is based, Cyprus is assessed taking into account not only epidemiological and hospital indicators, but also the vaccination coverage of its population.
It calls on all citizens, especially young people, to plan their vaccination as soon as possible, thus taking advantage of the weapon offered by science to exit the health crisis. A possible setback will have disastrous consequences for society, workers, the economy, tourism and the entrepreneurship of our country.
