Health service has vaccinated 70,000 against Covid-19 so far

70,000 people have already been vaccinated against Covid-19 on mainland Portugal, the Ministry of Health announced on Friday and that it will make available platforms where the Portuguese can accompany the process.

“Numbers can be consulted, as of today, on the online platforms of the Ministry of Health and Government, ensuring transparency throughout the vaccination process. In this way it will be possible for anyone to monitor the implementation of the plan for vaccination against Covid-19,” said the Ministry of Health in a statement.

The update will be weekly and can be consulted at https://www.sns.gov.pt/monitorizacao-do-sns/vacinas-covid-19/, https://covid19.min-saude.pt/ponto-de-situacao-atual-em-portugal/ and https://covid19estamoson.gov.pt/estado-epidemiologico-covid19-portugal/.

In Portugal, the vaccination campaign against Covid-19 started on 27 December in hospitals, covering health professionals, and is already extending to old people’s homes.

The first phase of the plan, until the end of March, also covers the armed forces, security forces and critical services.

In this phase, people aged 50 or over with at least one of the following pathologies will also be vaccinated from February onwards: heart failure, coronary disease, renal failure or chronic respiratory disease under ventilatory support and/or long-term oxygen therapy.

The second phase starts in April and includes people aged 65 years or more and people aged between 50 and 64 years old, inclusive, with at least one of the following pathologies: diabetes, active malignant neoplasia, chronic renal disease, hepatic insufficiency, hypertension, obesity and other diseases with lower prevalence that may be defined later, according to scientific knowledge.

In the third phase the remaining population will be vaccinated, on a date to be determined.

People to be vaccinated throughout the year will be contacted by the National Health Service (SNS).