A group of private pharmacies offered to collaborate, free of charge, in the vaccination process against COVID-19 in Costa Rica, to help speed up the process. These are the Pharmaceutical Cooperative (Farmacoop), the Cooperative of United Independent Pharmacies (Coopefiu), the Association of Pharmacists and Independent Pharmacy Owners of CR (Afaprofaco) and the Association of Community Pharmacists Asofaco).
Through a press release, the companies indicated that by involving them they could make a faster process and achieve the herd immunity required to reduce infections as soon as possible.
Needed support for the process
“Until now, the Costa Rican Social Security Fund has carried out the vaccination with very good results, but when it begins to receive doses in greater quantity and from different pharmaceutical companies, it may need support in the process,” said the President of Farmacoop, Jimmy Ramírez Acuña.
This group is made up of around 1,100 pharmacies throughout the country and affirms that they have already had experiences in vaccination processes such as the campaign against congenital rubella in 2001.
“We are once again at the orders of the health authorities, so that a considerable number of pharmacies can serve as sites for immunization,” said the Vicepresident of Farmacoop, Larry Ramírez Chavarría.
With the necessary tools
The cooperatives and associations affirmed that they have the necessary tools to keep an adequate record of the vaccines, as well as the cold chain that the doses require. The distribution and application of vaccines are done through the health establishments of the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS) throughout the country.
Vaccination in the country began on December 24th and continues its process with the second priority group made up of people over 58 years of age. The private pharmacies did not detail whether the offer was made officially to the health authorities.
