Portugal is organizing to avoid an increase in possible contamination with the start of the school year. The General Directorate of Health recommended Tuesday “the vaccination of all adolescents from 12 to 15 years,” said its manager, Graça Freita. A “universal” vaccination of all young people, but with priority given to those over 16 and 12-15 year-olds with risky diseases.
Three weeks earlier, Prime Minister Antonio Costa had announced the Portuguese government’s intention to extend the vaccination campaign to 12-17 year olds so that the next school year could take place “without risk of interruption”. The latter was simply waiting for the “final decision” from the health authorities.
75% of over 16s vaccinated
Portugal congratulated itself last Friday on having achieved the goal of administering at least one dose of the vaccine against Covid-19 to 70% of its population of approximately 10 million inhabitants. Of its population aged 16 or older, 82% have received at least one dose and 75% have completed their vaccination, according to data provided by the Ministry of Health.
After being one of the first countries in the European Union to be affected by the wave of contamination caused by the Delta variant of the new coronavirus, Portugal has seen the number of new daily cases decline for about three weeks.