Dealing with the pandemic and continuing vaccination coverage has posed an enormous challenge for the Departmental Health Services in the city of Santa Cruz, Bolivia.
This department ranks as one of the largest in terms of the child population, yet many of these children were unable to receive their vaccines due to the pandemic.
Consequently, the authorities and health workers took key actions to achieve vaccination coverage rates and reach the target population.
One of them is 51-year-old Mirian Suarez Flores, a nurse with five children who lives in the city of Santa Cruz. She is passionate about her nursing studies so she can help families and the community.
One of the key activities that took place was “V is for Vaccination Day.” The main event took place at the 10th of October Health Center with the participation of health authorities and neighborhood councils, along with a large number of actors who were invited to liven up the day.
Nurse Mirian Suarez led the activities at the Lazaretto Health Center where she works, which were replicated in all primary health care facilities.
The Departmental Health Services of Santa Cruz (SEDES) mobilized more than 380 teams spread out over 331 fixed vaccination points and 68 health centers in order to carry out the Sunday activities, called “V is for Vaccination Day.”
Another key action carried out by the health authorities was to administer vaccines not only the traditional way, i.e. vaccinating in the health centers, but by setting up vaccination points at recreational areas such as the Municipal Zoo, Botanic Gardens, and playgrounds, in order reach more of the population.
“All the activities we carried out were intended to ensure the wellbeing of our target population. We want to highlight the support and commitment of local institutions such as the church and the neighborhood councils that were always there to help us, ” said Marcelo Ríos, SEDES Director Santa Cruz.
Natalia Melgar is one of the mothers who took advantage of the vaccination campaign to get her baby vaccinated. “My son Rafael is 14 months old, and whenever I come to the health center Nurse Mirian is so friendly, makes me feel confident, and treats my child so nicely that Rafael has had all shots for his age.”
“Rafael always brings me joy so I take good of him and try to give him all his vaccines because his health is very important,” Natalia Melgar says.
“Truthfully, it has been really difficult throughout the pandemic, the work has been hard and quite intense, but by the grace of God we were able to get organized and fulfill our responsibility to safely give vaccines free of charge to our people,” says nurse Mirian Suarez.
