Spain fails to reach government target of immunizing 70% of population against coronavirus for August

The summer is slowing the rate of vaccination against COVID-19 and, with this, the milestone that the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, marked in early May to have 33 million Spaniards, that is, 70% of the population, immunized against coronavirus with the full schedule in August has not been reached.

“We are only 100 days away from achieving group immunity, 70% of the population of Spain immunized. Just 100 days from achieving that goal we had set at European level before the summer”.

With these words, Sanchez assured on May 10 that the goal of 70% would be reached in August. However, at the moment, the data are as follows: 29,968,303 people have already been inoculated with both doses, which means slightly more than 63.2%, a figure far from the 33 million established by the Central Executive.

Also, according to Health data, a total of 34,867,478 people have inoculated at least one dose in the campaign against the pandemic, which represents 73.5% of the Spanish population.

Following the current rate of vaccination, the Executive’s milestone will not be reached until the second week of September. The problem now is that the 70% percentage will not be enough to achieve group immunity. Due to the expansion of the more communicable and contagious Delta variant, it would be necessary to reach 85% of the population with the complete vaccination.

70% of the population of Castilla-La Mancha is already fully protected. The Manchego president, Emiliano García-Page celebrated this success a few days ago. “We have managed to anticipate the same deadlines that we had given ourselves and that Spain had marked. We have behaved with a level of seriousness perfectly compatible with our joy of living”.

It is not the only community to achieve this. The Balearic Islands today will reach 70% of the immunized adult population. However, the rate of vaccination has decreased in recent weeks and therefore the Government maintains the possibility of vaccination without an appointment.

Before them, Asturias became the first autonomy to reach this level.

Paula Lite, vaccination coordinator of Summa 112 in the Community of Madrid, explains that with the current epidemiological situation, pregnant women are the priority group in the COVID-19 vaccination plan. “They can come without an appointment at any time of the day and they will be vaccinated”.

Written by BayRadio