Vaccines have prevented more than 300,000 infections and 13,000 admissions to ucis in Catalonia

On December 27, a year ago, Catalonia began the vaccination campaign against covid-19. Twelve months later, there is 85% of the population vaccinated with the complete schedule and the third-dose immunization has begun. Key figures in that effort to make vaccination a success are the health professionals, whom I salute, with the ‘conseller’ Josep Maria Argimon At the helm, he wanted this Monday to thank him for his work over the last year. It was at an event at the Fira de Barcelona, ​​one of the vaccination points through which thousands of people have passed, and continue to do so.

The Secretary of Public Health, Carmen Cabezas, recalled that in one year in Catalonia they have administered 13.2 million doses of vaccines against coronavirus. Dose that have “avoided more than 300,000 infections, 10,000 deaths, between 60,000 and 80,000 hospitalizations and between 10,000 and 13,000 admissions to ucis“.

“It has been a key year in the pandemic. Vaccination has been one of the most important challenges in our recent history. A complex and successful process, which has been modulated according to the doses. It has been a long-distance race” , Cabezas stressed, who has valued the efforts of health personnel, who volunteered, who worked overtime, who worked on holidays. “Thank you all for your patience, for your effort, for your smile, for being part of the solution.”

Then it was time for the protagonists, the health professionals. Lourdes Squares, nurse and coordinator of the Fira vaccination point, has taken the floor on behalf of all of them to value their work and the “pride” that has been for them to take part in this vaccination process. “I never thought I would see such a broad and diverse team in my career, all committed to the common goal of vaccination,” he said.

One million doses in Fira

“They called me to participate in a mobile vaccination team. I went headlong. At first it was difficult for us to position ourselves. We started in the residences, one of the most affected groups. I remember when Dr. Cabezas sent us a study that showed a decrease in the mortality in residences after vaccination. It was key and responded to our effort. In April, we started in Fira. We were a bit deluded. We thought it would be something small but we immediately saw that it was a very large point. We started with a thousand vaccines and in a A couple of days we will put the one million dose. We would not have imagined it “, Carrés pointed out, assessing, in addition, the organizational collaboration of Fira de Barcelona, ​​the cleaning teams,” essential “, security, and other services.

In a year, he explained, the routine is the same but behind each vaccine “there are one, two or three professionals who make it possible. They come before or after their work commitments. Part of the solution is us. Thank you all very much. “.

🗣️ Lourdes Carrés: “I remember a study taught to us by Dr. Carmen Cabezas that clearly showed the decrease in deaths in residences after vaccination. It was a key moment, because it responded to expectations, hopes and effort. done until then ” pic.twitter.com/1Kt0IYMMO5

— Greet (@salutcat) December 27, 2021

Sandra Paixà, Pediatric vaccination nurse from Reus, has been the next to share her experience. “My first day was the afternoon of January 5. They welcomed us as if we were the Three Wise Men. From then on, vaccination became part of our routine. I remember that at first we were alerted to the need for care in preserving the dose. We were very careful. ” Paixá has pointed out the change in life that the pandemic has meant for everyone. “This act is a recognition to all those who are giving a thousand percent for vaccination.”

This year, of course, there have also been tensions. One of those moments occurred after the vaccination passport was required to access venues such as bars and restaurants. This caused a new flood of unvaccinated citizens at a time when many mobile vaccination points had closed. Paixá explained that “when the rebound in new appointments was seen, vaccination points were reopened in record time, in just 48 hours.”

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For its part, the administrative and planning technique of vaccination points of the Northern Metropolitan Region, Leyre Martinez, has expressed the feeling of “exhaustion and tiredness” both professionals and the population, but he has warned that despite this fatigue, “we will all continue forward, working for this pandemic to end. That is the important thing.” “We are tired, but happy with the success of the vaccination, and we will continue at the foot of the canyon until the end”, has riveted Carrés.