The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), recommended on Wednesday that people should not wait for particular brands of covid19 vaccines, but should get the one that is available as soon as possible.

Dr Jarbas Barbosa, deputy director of PAHO, said at a virtual press conference that all approved vaccines, even emergency ones, contribute to saving lives.

“Choosing the vaccine is a double risk and it is not possible to make that decision, due to msinformation. The vaccines all have phase III studies and if it is World Health Organization (WHO)-approved and available, it is the best. "

Barbosa said the WHO has a large team around the world are doing studies to determine protection levels and what percentage of total vaccinations would generate immunity in a population.

"At the beginning there was talk of 75 per cent, but there is analysis that indicates with the new variants, we must have at least 90 per cent of the population vaccinated," he said. "We still do not have evidence a third dose of vaccines can be recommended, so countries must follow the guidelines we have so far."

He said communication within countries is key to establish recommendations and improve national immunisation plans.

Dr Carissa Etienne, director of PAHO, reported 1.2 million cases and 20,000 deaths in the last week.

She said covid19 infections are accelerating, especially in the United States and Mexico. In the Caribbean, Cuba, Martinique and the British Virgin Islands are reporting increasing cases for the second consecutive week.

This week, the Americas passed two million deaths as a result of complications of covid19.

Etienne highlighted the areas of the region where more than 62 million indigenous people live and which are more vulnerable to diseases caused by covid19.

“Many live in communal societies with distancing, but with displacement problems that generate more problems in facing covid19 infection,” said Etienne.

So far more than 400,000 indigenous people in different countries have already been vaccinated, but the collection of exact information is complicated in these areas.

“PAHO has been working with various indigenous organisations to issue appropriate recommendations for these communities and to reach them,” Etienne said.

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