Conferenza episcopale
San José (Agenzia Fides) - Last weekend April 23/24, 170 parishes in Costa Rica joined the "Complete your scheme" ("Completá tu esquema") campaign so that children and adults can complete their vaccination program against Covid 19. According to information from the Bishops' Conference, sent to Fides, the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS) has registered the administration of a total of 13,340 doses of the vaccine, of which 11,262 were for people over 12 years of age and 2,078 for children between 5and 11.
Dr Eduardo Cambronero Hernández, Director of the Directorate of the Health Services Network, explained that this campaign was coordinated has been coordinated between the CCSS, the Ministry of Health and the authorities of the Catholic Church to facilitate the vaccination of people at available times during the weekend. "The Catholic Church has always been concerned about the health and well-being of people, which is why we have provided support to facilitate vaccination centers in our structures throughout the country", said Mgr. Daniel Blanco Méndez, Auxiliary Bishop of the archdiocese of San José. The Catholic Church thanks all the priests who have collaborated in the campaign and also the health personnel who are carrying out this effort in the vaccination centers that have been set up in parishes throughout the country. According to international official sources, Costa Rica, which has a population of about 5 million inhabitants, has registered 848,000 cases of Covid, with 8,383 deaths. 80.2% of the population has received full vaccination. In a letter addressed to the new President of the Republic, Rodrigo Chaves Robles, the bishops highlight health as one of the main challenges of Costa Rican society, for which the Church offers its collaboration: "We believe in a State that protects its inhabitants , that bets on investments for a health system that reaches everyone, that is supportive, advanced... Costa Rica has always been in the front line to protect its population, so we believe that the new government must strengthen our health system health, the institutional framework that supports it and thus guarantee the best future for all, through more efficient and rapid management of health care for all", (see Fides, 5/4/2022). (SL) (Agenzia Fides, 29/4/2022)