Azores achieve 70% complete vaccination, hope to reach 85% in October
The regional secretary for Health and Sport says that the Azores have reached 70% of the population with full vaccination against Covid-19.
The Azores have reached 70% of the population with full vaccination against Covid-19, announced regional secretary for Health and Sport, Clélio Meneses on Thursday, who hopes to reach 85% by October.
Six of the nine islands of the Azores (Corvo, Faial, Pico, São Jorge, Graciosa and Santa Maria) had already reached the 70% target, a figure the Azorean executive considers necessary to achieve group immunity and lift restrictive measures to control the pandemic.
As for the remaining three, the island of Flores has recently reached 70% and Terceira and São Miguel (the most populous) should do so soon, according to Clélio Meneses.
Asked about the vaccination target set by the executive, Clélio Meneses said that “a more accurate guarantee of protection is around 80 to 85%”, a number already reached in some islands.
“We have two islands – Corvo and Santa Maria – with 80 per cent or more of the population fully vaccinated, and three other islands – Graciosa, São Jorge and Pico – with almost 80 per cent fully vaccinated,” he said.
The governor estimates that this figure will be reached, regionally, by October and that the existing vaccination centres on Sao Miguel and Terceira may be deactivated during the month of September.
“Giving numbers and dates in a process with this dynamic is always risky, but I could say that during the month of October we will have the numbers reached at most so that the vaccination posts are dismantled, so that people can be vaccinated alone in some circumstances and also to prepare the process of a possible third dose,” he pointed out.
