Filenews 27 October 2021 - by Marilena Panagi
Reluctance continues to be recorded among citizens who have been called for their booster vaccination since both the number of people who have received the third dose of coronavirus vaccine to date and the number of appointments arranged daily through the Vaccination Portal continue to remain at very low levels. Indicative is the fact that from the 18th to the 25th of October, only 1,704 beneficiaries were settled through the Vaccination Portal, reaching about 150,000 (around 40,000 people have already been vaccinated).
The Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare, for its part, has completed a survey conducted among the closed structures it has under its supervision, while the Ministry of Health is closely monitoring the situation and preparing for the follow-up as the scientific community internationally warns of the coexistence of the coronavirus with other seasonal infections. The Deputy Ministry, as reported by "F", has made a request to the Minister of Health, Michalis Hadjipantelas, for vaccination of the elderly in nursing homes, with mobile vaccination units, both for the third dose against the coronavirus and for the flu.
As far as booster vaccination is concerned, however, the data of the Ministry of Health are probably a cause for concern. Specifically, by October 25, only 4.8% (4,548) of people belonging to the age group of 60-69 years had responded to the call for the 3rd dose with the total population for this group being 94,714. In addition, the third dose was received by 11,382 people of the 70-79 age group. A percentage of 17.1% out of a total of 66,429 people while in the age group of 80 years and older the situation is somewhat better since a total of 17,183 people had been vaccinated, a percentage of 51.2% out of a total of 33,530 citizens.
Regarding the appointments arranged through the Vaccination Portal for a third dose, according to the official data:
- October 18, 327 appointments were arranged.
- 19 October 324 appointments were arranged.
- October 20, the number of appointments arranged was 253.
- October 21 was reduced to 232.
- October 22, 185 appointments were arranged.
- 23 October 47 appointments were arranged.
- 24 October 67 appointments were arranged.
- October 25 arranged appointments for 269 people.
In total, based on age, 33,113 of the 194,673 beneficiaries received the vaccine dose based on population registration in 2019.
Another approximately 4,500 people received the third dose either as health professionals or as people belonging to the vulnerable groups of the population, while from the nursing homes, 2,730 people were vaccinated with a third dose with this number including both elderly residents and employees.
The concern of both the Ministry of Health and the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare has intensified in recent days due to the looming deterioration of the epidemiological data as, although the vaccination coverage rate among the residents of nursing homes is considered to be very satisfactory since it reaches 86%, the numbers recorded daily in public hospitals show that a greater effort is needed to convince citizens to receive the third dose against the coronavirus. Indicatively, the age of fully vaccinated people (i.e. who have received the two doses of the vaccine) who are hospitalized either in the wards or in the ICU has now risen to 69 years.
Regarding the survey conducted by the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare, the results demonstrate the need to increase vaccination coverage among workers in nursing homes and other shelters/homes in the community, which host people with disabilities.
Particular emphasis is of course given to nursing homes for which the Deputy Ministry, in a letter to the Minister of Health, is sounding the alarm and asking for cooperation between the competent services aiming at the safety of residents and employees.
From the data recording, which took place last month, it appears that the vaccination coverage of workers, in the three structures that "belong" to the deputy ministry, is high and amounts to 86%, with variations between provinces and Famagusta recording the lowest vaccination rates with 69%.
The reasons why employees are not vaccinated
The research also records the reasons why unvaccinated workers on the various Roofs are allegedly not vaccinated.
- In Nicosia district, it was argued: the general unreliability of vaccines (42%), the fear of future long-term side effects of the vaccine (36.5%), the fact that vaccines cannot fully protect against the virus (33.3%) and the new technology of COVID-19 vaccines (28.5%). The lowest vaccination coverage in Nicosia district is observed in "Houses in the Community" (96.2%).
- In the Limassol district, the main causes of non-vaccination are the general unreliability of vaccines (34.5%) and the new technology of COVID-19 vaccines (32.7%). The lowest vaccination coverage is observed in 24-hour care facilities for people with disabilities with a percentage of 62.2% and then in "Homes in the Community" with a percentage of 70%.
- In the Pafos district, 55.5% of people who gave answers about their refusal to vaccinate raised as their main cause the lack of information.
- In the District of Larnaca, the main causes of non-vaccination are: fear of the future long-term side effects of the vaccine (57.5%), general unreliability of vaccines (48.8%), new technology of COVID-19 vaccines (42%) and that vaccines cannot fully protect against the virus (27.2%). The majority of unvaccinated workers (89.7%) work on shelters for the elderly.
- In Famagusta district, the predominant causes of non-vaccination are: fear of the future long-term side effects of the vaccine (57.6%) and general unreliability of vaccines (53.8%). The majority of unvaccinated workers (76.9%) work on shelters for the elderly.
The Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare, states in its letter that "instructions were given to the YKE for the training of inspectors and evaluation of the findings of the controls in order to take measures to strengthen the observance of the protocols".
The rate of vaccination coverage
In detail and according to the results of the survey of the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare, "the total number of employees in the Elderly Shelters, the 24-hour care facilities and the "houses in the Community" is 2066 out of 135 structures nationwide.
- The vaccination coverage rate of employees is (1,772) 86% and the percentage of unvaccinated staff is (294) 14%.
- The number of residents is 3,149 with a vaccination coverage rate of 88% (2,761 people).
- There are 64 homes in Nicosia. 88% of workers are vaccinated (1,002 out of 1,144). As far as the residents are concerned, the number in the province reaches 1,456 of which 87% are vaccinated. (209 residents are unvaccinated).
- In Limassol, there are 41 homes. They work for 517 people, of whom 443 or 86% have been vaccinated. A total of 869 residents live in these roofs. 800 or 92% have been vaccinated.
- In Larnaca, there are 15 homes with 233 staff. 84%, i.e. 195 workers, have been vaccinated. 360 residents live in the homes of Larnaka, of them, 310 of them, 86% have been vaccinated.
- In Paphos, there are nine homes with 86 staff. 85% have been vaccinated. As far as the residents are concerned, the number reaches 147 of which 122 (83%) have been vaccinated.
- In Famagusta there are six homes. 69% of staff and 68% of residents have been vaccinated.
As pointed out in its letter to the Ministry of Health, the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare, "in view of the assessments of the scientific community, which refer to a possible outbreak of seasonal infections in the winter season simultaneously with the existence of COVID-19 and in order to facilitate as far as possible the access of the residents of the closed structures to vaccination units, we propose that in consultation of the Ministry of Health with the Social Welfare Services, the organized vaccinations for the booster/3rd dose and to investigate the possibility that mobile covid-19 vaccination units are done in conjunction with and simultaneously with the influenza A vaccine, if this is scientifically acceptable."
