The Ministry of Health announced that as of Monday, July 19, all people over the age of 30, with or without risk factors, can receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in their respective health areas around the country.
This measure comes a week after the United States government donated half a million Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines to Costa Rica. That quantity is 20% of all the doses the country has received in the last six months.
The Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS) records show that the Chorotega region will receive 46,806 doses of this donation, distributed among all the cantons in the province.
According to CCSS’s press office, the vaccination teams in health areas and hospitals will continue to monitor demand for the vaccine on a daily basis. If enough people don’t arrive from the vaccination groups, the Ministry of Health will likely authorize younger people to receive the immunization.
Vaccination protocols vary in each health area. Although some are set up for walk-ins, others require that people make an appointment days in advance. In addition, most of them ask that the person interested in getting vaccinated be registered at the center where they will receive the dose.
The CCSS also sent some 6,000 vaccines to La Anexión Hospital (2,000) and the Enrique Baltodano Hospital (4,000), the two public hospitals in the province. These are the only two medical centers in Guanacaste that allow anyone in the country to be vaccinated. La Anexión administers about 300 vaccines a day and Liberia administers 400.
Although health personnel are only vaccinating people over 30 years of age, the director of La Anexión, Anner Angulo, stated that if there aren’t enough people from the authorized group interested, the hospital applies immediate “contingency plans” and allows younger groups to be vaccinated.
The same is true at Enrique Baltodano. According to the hospital’s director, Marvin Palma, that hospital’s staff give priority to those over 30 years of age who are assigned to a health area in any part of the country, but when there are no people in this group waiting for a dose, they allow people older than 12 years of age with risk factors to come in. The next in line for care would be people over 12 years of age without risk factors.
The Voice of Guanacaste organized information on the vaccination campaigns in the Chorotega region’s 11 establishments during the week of July 19 to 25:
Nicoya:
Place: FIFCO facilities (300 meters north of Maxipalí) from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Requirements:
- Be over 40 years old
- Have a current identity card in hand
- No appointment needed
- Be registered at the canton’s health area
Vaccination days: Monday to Friday
Place: La Anexión Hospital from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Requirements:
- Be older than 30
- Bring ID or DIMEX
- Haven’t received a flu vaccine in the last 14 days
- Anyone in the country can go
Vaccination days: Monday to Friday
Hojancha:
Places and time: Downtown Hojancha CENCINAI and Matambu Community Hall (8 a.m. to 3 p.m.)
Requirements:
- Be older than 30
- Be registered at the canton’s health area
- Make an appointment in advance at the Hojancha Clinic
Vaccination days: 21, 22 and 23
Santa Cruz:
Places, dates and times:
- Melia Conchal Plaza (Tuesday, the 20th, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
- Health Post in Marbella (Tuesday, the 20th, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
- Santa Barbara high school (Tuesday, the 20th, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
- Universidad Latina (Wednesday, the 21st, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
- 27 de Abril’s high school (Wednesday, the 21st, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
- Ortega Health Post (Thursday, the 22nd, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
- Villarreal (Thursday, the 22nd, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
- Portegolpe (Friday, the 23rd, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
- Santa Cruz high school (Friday, the 23rd, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
Requirements:
- Be older than 30
- Bring ID or DIMEX
- Be registered at the canton’s health area
Carrillo
Places, dates and times:
- Integral Development Association of the Playas del Coco Community (ADICOCO) – (Tuesday, the 21 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.)
- Sardinal Catholic Church (Wednesday, the 22nd, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.)
- Paso Tempisque community hall (Thursday, the 23rd, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.)
Requirements:
- Be over 40 years old
- Bring ID or DIMEX
- Be registered at the canton’s health area
Liberia
Place: Vaccination center of the Liberia health area within the HEBB facilities
Time and date: Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Requirements:
- Be registered at the canton’s health area
- Be older than 30
- Have ID or DIMEX in hand
- Carry a vaccination card
Place: Enrique Baltodano Hospital
Time and date: Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Requirements:
- Be older than 30
- Bring ID or DIMEX
- No appointment needed
- Haven’t received a flu vaccine in the last 15 days
- Anyone in the country can go
La Cruz
Place, date and time:
Las Vueltas School (Wednesday, the 21st, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.)
Santa Elena EBAIS branch office (Thursday, the 22nd, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Institutions (Del Oro, Dreams Las Mareas, others) (Friday, the 23rd, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
Requirements:
- Be older than 30
- Have a current identity card in hand
- Make an appointment at the corresponding EBAIS
- Be registered at the canton’s health area
Abangares:
Place: Las Juntas Municipal Gymnasium and Abangares Health Area
Date and time: Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Requirements:
- Be older than 30
- Bring ID or DIMEX
- Carry vaccination card
- Be registered at the canton’s health area
- No appointment needed
Tilaran:
Place: Tilaran Municipal Gymnasium
Date and time: Tuesday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Requirements:
- Be older than 30
- Be under 30 years old with some risk factor
- Bring ID or DIMEX
- No appointment needed
- Be registered at the canton’s health area
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