Boosters Deemed Unnecessary; Children will Get COVID-19 Vaccines

Mexico will begin to vaccinate children against COVID-19 but only those with comorbidities that make them particularly vulnerable to the virus. However, parents are urging authorities to vaccinate all children. FDA and WHO officials have deemed COVID-19 booster shots unnecessary.

This and more in the Week in Health!

UNOPS Medicine Supply Brings Sector Together

INSABI, UNOPS and the local pharmaceutical industry, represented through AMELAF, AMIIF, ANAFAM, CANIFARMA and AMID, strengthened their commitment to solve the shortage of medicines in Mexico this Tuesday. In a meeting, representatives from these institutions addressed the progress in delivery of the purchases made in 2021 and the key points that will be strengthened before the purchases of 2022.

Representatives of the pharmaceutical industry have recognized that these spaces for dialogue are essential to give millions of Mexicans their medicines in a timely manner. Read more here.

Federal Budget for Healthcare Assigned

The Ministry of Health’s budget has been increased by 27.6 percent in real terms in 2022 in comparison to the previous year, said Minister of Finance and Public Credit, Rogelio Ramírez de la O. The budget includes MX$800 billion (US$40 million) for the purchase of vaccines and medicines, the provision of free health services, upgrades of medical care and the hiring of more health workers.

Children COVID-19 Vaccination

Deputy Minister of Health, Hugo López-Gatell, announced that the federal government plans to vaccinate  1 million children and teenagers between 12 and 17 years of age who might be at higher risk of COVID-19 because of diseases such as cancer, HIV and kidney failure.

This Tuesday, authorities in Cuernavaca, Morelos, vaccinated seven children under 18 years of age began. Some of those children had disabilities, leading their parents to file appeals for their children to be inoculated in Mexico City. Furthermore, 1,000 children and teenagers between 12 and 17 years old from Piedras Negras, Coahuila, were taken to Texas to receive the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters Unrequired: Top FDA, WHO Scientists

Despite the US’s and UK’s intentions to apply booster shots to their population, experts are still waiting for proof of their efficacy. COVID-19 vaccine booster shots are unnecessary for the general population due to the high efficiency of the vaccines in preventing severe disease, including the delta variant, concluded both US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and WHO scientists in an international study published by The Lancet.

Supreme Court Upholds Conscientious Objection to Practice Procedures

Mexico’s Supreme Court upheld the right to conscientious objection for health personnel, which will allow doctors to refuse to practice any procedure that goes against their moral or religious beliefs as long as the patient's life is not at risk.

Fight for Women Health Rights Continues

In the US, its Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the state of Texas over its law that prohibits abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, claiming it violates women´s constitutional rights, said Attorney General Merrick B.

C-Level Interviews

Do not miss our interviews with some of the most relevant companies in Mexico:

Jesús Arenas Wiedfeldt, Corporate Communication Director of Farmacéuticos Maypo

Hector Sobrino, Director of Health Services at AXA

Miguel Khoury, General Director and Chairman of the Board of Hospitales MAC

Hector Orellana, Vice President North of LATAM of Medtronic

Fernando Santiago, Director General of MAG Medical Group