Filenews 29 January 2022
Vaccinations of children 5 -11 have reached a rate of 8.9%, the Director General of the Ministry of Health, Christina Yiannaki, said on Saturday in statements at the vaccination centre that operates at the state fair in Nicosia.
She said that this is the fifth walk in, made by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the President of the Cyprus Paediatric Society (PEK), Michalis Anastasiades and the volunteer paediatricians, in the state report, while in Limassol the second dose is administered.
By that time, the volunteer paediatricians had had had about 280 vaccines in this centre, while at the walk in point E in the state report, the first, second, and third dose was being administered for anyone who wanted it, Ms. Yiannaki said, noting that "about 300 vaccines have been vaccinated there." As the Director-General said, this programme will continue.
"We will be in Limassol next Saturday. We will also be in Larnaca and on Sunday we will be at the Episcopacy, in cooperation with the Metropolitan, the President of the Suffering, Mr. Kouloumas. The Minister of Health and the President of PEK will be with us to continue this great fight we are making for vaccinations", he said and stressed that "especially for children's vaccines we have reached a rate of 8.9%". The percentage "satisfies us and we continue this fight that we do on a daily basis", he noted. He said that only Sunday the vaccination centres are not working.
He noted that the percentage of the general population that received the first dose is at 74.7%, the fully vaccinated are at 71.1% while the percentage of the adult population that is now fully vaccinated is 84.1%.
"We as the Ministry of Health have set a goal, to reach 75% of the fully vaccinated of the general population and we believe that with all this titanic effort that is being made that we will succeed," he added.
Asked how many children aged 5-11 years have been vaccinated to date, Ms. Yiannaki said that there are around 6,050 children and added that they continue every day, both in Latsia and at the State Fair, to do these walks in.
"That is, every day we have an increase in children. Maybe these days because of the frost we only reached 5,000 vaccines a day, but again people will come and parents bring their children," he added.
Regarding the percentage of vaccinations in children 16-17 years old, he said that "56% have been vaccinated", while in children 12-15 years old "we have vaccinated 46%". "That is, we have a very good percentage and we are fighting to reach it, because we have to reach the goal that we have said with the Minister of Health," he noted.
Application of "test to stay" in schools
Asked to take stock of the implementation of the "test to stay" measure in schools, Ms. Yiannakis said they will see the results on Monday and announce them.
"We'll see how this program goes. In order not to anticipate, because it is a very good thing, we will see the results on Monday and again we will let you know," he added.
President PEK: Another 700 children were vaccinated today in Nicosia and Limassol
The President of the Cyprus Paediatric Society (PEK) Michalis Anastasiades, asked to assess the course of vaccinations, said that "we are absolutely happy" and added that "we remain united, we continue the fight in good cooperation always with the Ministry of Health and especially the General Director, who is commonly accepted to give her soul for this battle".
"We recognize that. We stand by her side, next to the state, providing any possible assistance we can offer and this help can be no other than our physical presence, which will continue next week, as announced, in Limassol, Larnaca and Episkopio and wherever it may be needed in the future", he added.
He noted that only today another 700 children have been vaccinated in Nicosia and Limassol.
"So, the figure that (the General Manager) had mentioned to you for the vaccination of 5-11-year-olds until yesterday has already risen to about 7,000," he said.
He said that in addition to climatic conditions, in the past too many children had to remain confined at home, either as cases or as contacts of cases. "Therefore, although this effort is being made with little hurdles, but it is an effort that will not stop until we reach the final goal, which is exactly the number that has been mentioned," he concluded.
