| | |  Health & Beauty 
Red Tape Delays H1N1 Flu Shots
 Rocío Zayas - The News
go to original
February 16, 2010
| | Small percentage immunized against H1N1 flu | |
With the H1N1 virus frenzy nearing its first-year anniversary, one health official said Monday that there will likely be yet another outbreak in April or May due to the extensive bureaucracy involved in distribution.
Vesta Louise Richardson, director of the National Center for Infant and Child Health, said that the distribution of vaccinations has been too slow; of the 20 million doses in Mexico, only 3.5 million have been applied.
This is due to a four-week long bureaucratic process, she said: first, vaccinations are received and then verified by the Federal Commission for the Protection Against Health Risks (Cofepris); then, they are sent to the government-owned Birmex laboratories, which negotiates with states who must pick up the vaccinations.
“We have to consider the distribution process: first, they arrive at the airport, where they are then sent to the Control Commission for Analysis and Coverage Extension SSA (CAYA),” Richardson said. “Then they go to Birmex and are sent to state warehouses, then to jurisdictional warehouses to be later distributed to different medical units.”
She added that Mexico State no longer ranks in last place in vaccination application, thanks to the state’s immunization strategy in malls and public places. However, Colima, Hidalgo and Quintana Roo continue to have large gaps between those vaccinated and the number of shots available. |
|
| |
Vallarta Weddings
Tell a Friend
Site Map
Print this Page
Email Us