The Ministry of Health and Social Protection published the draft decree that will serve as the legal framework for the National Vaccination Plan against COVID-19, where this decree will be complemented by a series of resolutions that will be issued throughout the year so that Colombians may consult it and express their opinions on it.
The project states that the general objective of the Plan is to contribute to the generation of herd immunity, seeking the reduction of mortality by COVID-19, the reduction of the incidence of severe cases and the protection of the population with high exposure to the virus, culminating in the reduction of contagion in the general population until the epidemic is eliminated.
Prioritization of the population, phases and timing of vaccine application.
With the defined population, vaccination is established for the year 2021 in two phases and five stages, according to the official in the Prevention and Action program, information described in the draft decree.
First phase
- Stage 1: 100% of people over 80 years of age will be progressively vaccinated; 100% of health care workers in emergency, hospitalization and ICU services of third and fourth level IPS; public health personnel (vaccinators, epidemiological surveillance teams); and 100% of administrative personnel working in emergency, hospitalization and ICU services.
- Stage 2: 100% of the population between 60 and 79 years of age will be progressively vaccinated; and 100% of health care workers and support personnel of all IPS will be vaccinated.
- Stage 3: 100% of community mothers and fathers identified by the ICBF and preschool, elementary and middle school teachers will be progressively vaccinated; and 100% of the population between 16 and 59 years of age with risk comorbidities will be vaccinated.
Second phase
- Stage 4: 100% of caregivers of children and adolescents of the ICBF, personnel of the Armed Forces, National Police, firefighters, Red Cross first responders, Civil Defense, population deprived of liberty, INPEC guards, homeless people identified by the territorial entities and personnel of funeral homes, crematoriums and cemeteries will be progressively vaccinated.
- Stage 5: Vaccination will be administered to persons over 16 years of age without comorbidities. The order of application will be maintained starting with adults between 50 and 59 years of age, up to young people and adolescents.
Vaccination route:
“The decree also specifies a vaccination route based on the databases already created by the Ministry of Health for each stage.
There will be a portal called MI VACUNA COVID-19, under which the population will be informed about all the stages and where every Colombian citizen will be able to consult his or her situation with respect to the Plan.
The insurance company shall use the most expeditious mechanism in each case to corroborate the applicant's information and shall report to the Ministry to include in the database the required cases.
The Ministry of Health will deliver the lists of persons to be vaccinated to each EPS and in the case of persons who are on the list but are not affiliated to the health system, the Secretariat of Health will assign an IPS.
Subsequently, the Ministry will classify the IPSs that meet the requirements to be able to vaccinate and will coordinate with the EPSs. These, after receiving the lists of EPSs and Secretariats, will begin the process of scheduling appointments, starting with the population prioritized at each stage.
Vaccination is voluntary and, therefore, each person should be asked if he/she wishes to be vaccinated. If the answer is affirmative, an appointment will be scheduled to carry out the vaccination procedure. “If the person refuses, a record will be made of the information about his or her refusal,” said Minister Fernando Ruiz.
In addition, the project raises other issues such as the importation and commercialization of vaccines, the obligations of the territorial entities and the participation of the private sector in the vaccination process.
“We have then a route that includes regulations, administrative projects and draft decrees that we will be carrying out during the whole process in order to have clarity and transparency with the population,” he concluded.
