There are 20 countries that have not yet reached the goal set by the World Health Organization (WHO) of achieving 40% coverage of the anticovid vaccination by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, the Omicron variant of Covid-19 has been detected in at least six countries in the region.

Against this background, Carissa F. Etienne, director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), said that accelerating access to vaccines will be "essential to protect the population and, especially, the most vulnerable people."

"The appearance of a new variant does not necessarily mean a worsening of the situation, but it does mean that we must increase precautions," said Etienne.

In Panama, scientists from the Gorgas Commemorative Institute for Health Studies (Icges) carry out epidemiological and genomic surveillance to identify cases with this new variant, classified by the WHO as of concern. Until this Friday, no case of this variant has been detected in the country.

According to PAHO, 55% of the population of Latin America and the Caribbean is fully vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. In some countries - such as Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - vaccination coverage remains much lower.

“We need a reliable supply of doses so that our Covid-19 vaccination campaigns do not amplify the inequities that have divided our Region for so long,” Etienne added.