The government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) spent more on vaccines in 2020 than the previous administration of Enrique Peña Nieto in the last six years of his term, according to data from the Ministry of Health.
According to the report “Vaccination in Mexico: 2013-2020”, the federal government allocated 15,857 million pesos (about 790 million dollars) for the purchase of vaccines in 2020, which represents an increase of 178% compared to the 5,704 million pesos (about 285 million dollars) spent in 2019.
The report, prepared by the Health Intelligence Unit (UIS) of the Ministry of Health, states that the increase in spending on vaccines is mainly due to the acquisition of doses against COVID-19, which began to be applied in Mexico in December 2020.
The UIS estimates that the government spent 10,000 million pesos (about 500 million dollars) on COVID-19 vaccines in 2020, which corresponds to 63% of the total budget for vaccines that year.
The report also indicates that the government of AMLO spent more on vaccines in 2020 than the total amount spent by the government of Peña Nieto from 2013 to 2018, which was 14,892 million pesos (about 744 million dollars).
The UIS points out that the spending on vaccines during the administration of Peña Nieto had a downward trend, reaching its lowest level in 2018, when only 2,462 million pesos (about 123 million dollars) were allocated for this purpose.
The report also reveals that the number of vaccines applied in Mexico decreased by 9.4% in 2020 compared to 2019, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health system and the population’s access to health services.
According to the UIS, 38.6 million doses of vaccines were applied in 2020, while 42.6 million were applied in 2019. The vaccines that registered the greatest reduction in their application were those against tuberculosis, rotavirus, hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, and human papillomavirus.
The report also shows that the coverage of the national vaccination program decreased in 2020 for all age groups, especially for children under one year of age, who are the most vulnerable to preventable diseases.
The UIS indicates that the coverage of the vaccination program for children under one year of age was 84.4% in 2020, which represents a decrease of 7.6 percentage points compared to 2019, when it was 92%.
The report warns that the decrease in vaccination coverage could increase the risk of outbreaks of diseases that can be prevented by vaccines, such as measles, diphtheria, and polio.
The UIS recommends that the government strengthen the vaccination program and implement strategies to recover the lost coverage, as well as to ensure the timely supply and distribution of vaccines in the country.
The report also highlights the importance of maintaining the vaccination against COVID-19 as a priority, as well as to monitor its effectiveness and safety.
The UIS states that the vaccination against COVID-19 is a key element to reduce the mortality and morbidity caused by the pandemic, as well as to reactivate the economic and social activities in the country.
Source: Animal Politico
