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Spain, Portugal and Ukraine navigate the coronavirus crisis with a dangerous flood of positive people. The Iberians begin to have the capacity of Intensive Care Units running out, while the Baltics registered 30% more infections from one day to the next. For their part, Austria and Germany urge minors to get vaccinated.
The European continent is experiencing a difficult winter since the appearance of the fourth wave of the coronavirus, which hits all nations and forces them to act. In this framework, the countries of the ‘Old Continent’ are experiencing health difficulties or are looking for a solution to accelerate vaccination and stop the spread of the virus.
Spain, by case, returned to the high-risk group by measuring 305 incidence cases per 100,000 inhabitants and with intensive care units (ICUs) gradually filling up, some reaching 20%.
The northern region of the country is the most affected by this flood, which was motivated by the great mobilization of citizens for the long holiday bridge that began last Saturday and ended on Wednesday. The communities of Navarra and the Basque Country triple the national average and register figures of 956 and 757 infections, respectively.
To stop this advance of the sixth wave, Spain, which has 90% of the elderly inoculated, will begin on December 15 vaccination for those under eleven years old, one of the most affected groups at this time.
Its neighboring country, Portugal, is experiencing a similar situation. Health authorities reported that there were more than 3,500 new active infections this Thursday, exceeding the number of the previous day.
Despite the situation, Prime Minister António Costa spoke out against imposing mandatory vaccination and restricting flights as preventive measures, given the high rate of inoculation. “Portugal understands that there should be no compulsory vaccination, it does not make sense in this country,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ukraine increased the number of infected by a third from one day to the next, from 9,317 to 12,376, reported the health authorities, and almost 500 deaths.
Vaccination for minors
On the other hand, throughout Europe, the need to make vaccination compulsory and to move decisively with injections for minors is being discussed, issues that find opposite positions.
In Portugal, the General Directorate of Health authorized the immunization of minors between the ages of 5 and 11 and in the coming days it will disclose how the calendar will be to carry out this process, which, as notified by Prime Minister Costa, will begin with those who have conditions of risk and with those of 11 years and will decrease.
In Germany, the Permanent Vaccination Commission (Sitko) recommended the implementation of the vaccine against Covid-19 for children between five and 11 years old who have previous pathologies.
In addition, the Commission released a statement through the Robert Koch Institute of Virology website where they stated that it is also possible to inoculate children without pathologies “based on individual wishes.”
In Austria, those over 14 years of age will be obliged to be vaccinated from February and, in case of not doing so, fines of 3,600 euros will be imposed. In the Austrian territory it was decided that in 2022 they must be vaccinated compulsorily, a resolution that was supported by fractions of the opposition, such as the Social Democrat and the Liberal, accumulating 151 of the 183 seats in Parliament.
From Vienna they justify the measure as the only option to protect society and avoid successive confinements.
With EFE
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