Two leading infectologists in Guadalajara reckon the federal government should begin a new Covid-19 vaccination program quickly, before the coldest part of the year kicks in.
Many people in Mexico had their last shot (or booster) in the first two months of this year, and, as infectologist Héctor Raúl Pérez Gómez pointed out this week, “it has been shown that immunity decreases over time.”
The appearance of new Covid subvariants and the relaxation in sanitary measures significantly increases the risk of contagion this winter, noted Jorge Hernández Bello, a researcher at the University of Guadalajara.
According to Jalisco Health Department (SSJ) data, January 2021 and 2022 were the months with the most Covid-19 cases and fatalities.
Although the SSJ says 82 percent of the adult population has been vaccinated (with at least one dose) against Covid, the two infectologists stress this is no guarantee against infection from emerging subvariants.
Reports from the United States indicate that the BA.5 variant of Omicron, which has dominated since early summer, is fading fast. According to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, half the cases in the United States are now due to two descendants of BA.5, called BQ.1 and BQ.1.1. ºExperts say this new wave of omicron subvariants are the best yet at evading the immune system’s current defenses. The biggest challenge from the new variants will be for people who are immunocompromised because of disease or medications.