Date Published: 06/05/2021
ARCHIVED - Covid vaccination of 50- to 59-year-olds beginning in the Region of Murcia
ARCHIVED ARTICLE
Ministry statistics report that progress in immunizing the population is slower in Murcia than elsewhere in Spain
The official national government statistics suggest that the coronavirus immunization campaign is progressing slightly more slowly in some respects in the Region of Murcia than in other parts of Spain, but another significant milestone will be reached on Friday 7th May when the vaccination of 50- to 59-year-olds with no special added risk factors begins at the major centres being used for the purpose in the cities of Murcia and Cartagena.
The new phase of the campaign in Murcia affects 213,256 of the Region’s 1.5 million inhabitants, and most of them will be given the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines although the single-dose Janssen product may also be administered, depending on the green light being given for this age group by the national Ministry of Health. Murcia thus jumps ahead of most other regions of Spain in beginning to vaccinate 50-somethings: the process has already started in Andalucía and appointments are being given in Aragón, Navarra, the Basque Country, the Balearics and Catalunya, but elsewhere the focus is still on those aged over 60.
However, the Ministry data show that whereas in Spain as a whole 79.2 per cent of all over-60s have received at least the first vaccine dose, in Murcia the proportion stands at 75.9 per cent, and in terms of the second dose the respective figures are 33.5 per cent and 26 per cent. In this sense Murcia is one of the regions making slowest progress, ahead only of the Balearics, the Canaries and the Comunidad Valenciana.
This reflects the fact that so far a lower proportion of the doses received has been used in Murcia than in any other Autonomous Community, and there are still over 144,000 doses in stock waiting to be assigned and administered. Many of these are AstraZeneca vaccines which are awaiting administration to those aged under 60 who have received their first dose, but the usage rate of 76.2 per cent in Murcia is far lower than the national average of 84.9 per cent, and almost 5 points lower than the second slowest region in terms of using doses supplied (the Balearics at 81 per cent).
On Thursday only 5,500 doses were administered in the Region, well below the 10,000 planned, and there are still cases of people in their seventies not having been given an appointment: anyone who finds themselves in this situation is urged to contact their local medical centre or to call the regional Covid helpline on 900 121212.