Despite its significance, Mexico still needs vaccination coverage.
Highlights:
- Mexico’s vaccination coverage needs improvement, despite its significance in public health.
- Budget allocation for vaccination infrastructure is lacking, contrasting with spending on other areas.
- The Global Vaccine Action Plan aimed for 90% vaccine coverage by 2020, but no vaccine achieved this in Mexico according to 2022 data.
- Medical IMPACT highlights insufficient vaccination coverage in Chiapas, especially among children, due to multiple challenges.
- Civil society collaboration aims to address the crisis, testing the Mexican Universal Vaccination Program and calling for urgent action to strengthen coverage.
Vaccination represents one of the most cost-effective strategies in the realm of public health, in addition to being a human right. Paradoxically, despite its importance, Mexico’s budget allocation to strengthen vaccination infrastructure needs to be increased. Surprisingly, while the Chamber of Deputies invests 16 million pesos in commissions and the State of Mexico’s Legislature spends 1.5 million pesos monthly on meals, the vaccine sector is not receiving the financial attention it so desperately needs. These disparities, highlighted by Dr. Giorgio Franyuti, director of Medical IMPACT, pose a significant challenge.
In 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched The Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP) to achieve 90% vaccine coverage by 2020. However, according to the Mexican 2022 National Health and Nutrition Survey data, no vaccine has achieved this coverage. There has even been a decrease in the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine coverage in 2022. Additionally, a significant percentage of adults, women of reproductive age, and elderly individuals remain unprotected against vaccine-preventable diseases.
94 out of every 100 children in this region do not have a complete vaccination card.
Giorgio Franyuti
In this regard, Medical IMPACT has identified a high percentage of patients of various ages in Chiapas, especially children and young people, who lack access to medical services and still need to complete their vaccination cards. “94 out of every 100 children in this region do not have a complete vaccination card,” explains Franyuti. In certain municipalities in Chiapas, “the coverage is very close to that of Sub-Saharan Africa.”
The coverage is very close to that of Sub-Saharan Africa.
Giorgio Franyuti
The performance of the Universal Vaccination Program in Mexico shows deficiencies, especially in low-resource areas like the municipality of Simojovel and District Two of San Cristóbal de las Casas. While one might argue that the decrease in vaccination was due to the pandemic, it has also been exacerbated by failed changes in the Mexican healthcare system, putting the most vulnerable at a disadvantage.
In Chiapas, we have found cases of tuberculosis and diseases that can end the lives of extremely vulnerable people.
Giorgio Franyuti
Furthermore, in these areas, factors such as violence, the presence of armed groups, the obsolescence of the cold chain for vaccines, lack of training, myths surrounding vaccination, and inadequate budget allocation, among others, act as obstacles that must be addressed as a priority. The crisis in Chiapas is urgent. This situation goes against the principles of Universal health coverage (UHC). It could increase the incidence rates of preventable diseases such as tuberculosis, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, measles, mumps, and rubella. “In Chiapas, we have found cases of tuberculosis and diseases that can end the lives of extremely vulnerable people,” explains the doctor.
Civil society has joined forces to establish a Vaccination Initiative in response to this situation. This collaboration extends to OXFAM, Pacto por la Primera Infancia, Save The Children, The People’s Vaccine Alliance, and Vacunas para la Gente Latinoamérica. In this alliance, efforts are made for the monitoring of Universal Vaccination.
It’s a blame we all must carry simultaneously.
Giorgio Franyuti
This health crisis tests the foundations of the Mexican Universal Vaccination Program and presents an urgent challenge. The call to action is clear: bold measures are required to strengthen coverage. Although collaboration with the private sector shows positive results, the question arises: Do the Mexican authorities truly consider the right to health an unquestionable priority? Dr. Franyuti’s words resonate strongly: “It’s a blame we all must carry simultaneously.” It’s time for all involved parties to assume their responsibility in a unified manner.
