All bar four regions now vaccinating the under-50s, with 30-somethings due for jabs by July
All bar four regions now vaccinating the under-50s, with 30-somethings due for jabs by July
THREE more regions in Spain are about to start vaccinating the under-50s now that at least 70% of the 50-59 age group in their health service catchment areas have had one or both doses.
Galicia starts today on residents aged 40-49 inclusive, whilst Navarra will begin tomorrow (Monday, June 7) on those aged 51, 50 and 49.
The Basque Country has announced that if, in the coming week, the expected number of doses ordered arrives, it will begin by calling everyone aged 49 and then progressively work down the age scale.
Many regions are already getting through the 40-somethings at a good pace: The city-provinces of Ceuta and Melilla, on the northern Moroccan coast, began with this age group on May 19, and since then, the Canary Islands, Murcia Region, Balearic Islands, Aragón, Asturias, La Rioja, Cantabria and Castilla-La Mancha have begun, some towards the end of May and some from this week, the first week in June.
Gran Canaria and Tenerife were among the latter, starting on June 1, although the smaller Canarian islands of Lanzarote and El Hierro have already administered at least the first dose to their 39-year-olds and are now immunising residents aged 38.
Castilla-La Mancha has announced it will start vaccinating its residents aged 30-39 inclusive from the last week in June, in descending order of age, meaning the only people living in the central region who have not had any doses at all by July will be children, teenagers and those in their 20s.
At present, Castilla y León has not given a date as to when the under-50s will be immunised, as it wants to ensure everyone over this age has been fully vaccinated first.
Andalucía has just started vaccinating its 49-year-olds – and a few areas with a low population density have started on those a year or two younger – and plan to begin immunising residents aged 46, 47 and 48 this coming week.
The southern region says its current pace of vaccine administration is working out at an average of two-and-a-half years per week, meaning that by the time they are onto the 47-year-olds, health authorities would be expecting to get to the 42-year-olds a fortnight later.
Their aim is to start on the under-40s in July.
In the western region of Extremadura, the under-40s are expected to be summoned at some point this month, provided the doses arrive in time and at the correct amount.
Those aged from 40-49 inclusive in Extremadura started getting their first doses on Friday.
As for the three regions with the largest number of inhabitants – and which are home to Spain's top three biggest cities – residents under 50 will still have to wait another week to a fortnight before their jabs start.
Madrid, Catalunya and the Comunidad Valenciana say they aim to start on the 40-somethings around the middle of June, with the latter confirming it will start calling the 49-year-olds from June 17.
