Blockade of foreign vaccinations jeopardizes travel of hundreds of Gypskos

As usual, one morning in August, the person in charge of making way for the arrivals of the Gipuzkoa provincial government sub-office where the International Vaccination Center is located pointed out that “about twenty appointments” had been arranged. Around 10:20 am, Ander and Jones show up who “have been trying to get an appointment since the beginning of the year. Finally in May, we got one today, even though they’ve told us we got lucky, said the Irundala couple, who will be honeymooning in Africa (Kenya and Tanzania) at the end of September.

Not long after, another young man, Ekain Mendiola, arrived at the Gipuzkoa center from Gernika for the same purpose. The Viscayian had no choice but to go to Donostia. “In Bilbao, there was no way they would have summoned me until September, by which time I would already be traveling in Taiwan,” he complained. That’s why he tried it at Jipusqua. “It must have been by accident, but last week I saw on the website that I could make an appointment today, so I didn’t think much of it, just took it and came here,” he said with relief.

Another couple, however, were not so lucky. Elixabete and Álvaro agree that “it’s practically impossible to get an appointment.” They’ve waited months for a consultation to resolve their concerns about recommended vaccinations for a trip to Sri Lanka, and they walk with water up to their necks up. “We’re leaving in a few days. Let’s see what they tell us today, but I don’t know if that will give us time to get the vaccine because it takes a few days for the dose to take effect,” explained Elixabete, who traveled to the Asian country to attend A course to become a yoga instructor.

Organization and focus of trips vary. From air tickets to planning your itinerary or knowing what are the inevitable essentials of the destination you visit. Throughout the process, vaccinations must also be considered when traveling to an exotic country to reduce the risk of getting sick and the risk of ruining the experience of a night in bed and a trip to a medical center.

“Stay till the end”

Marisa Fidalgo, head of diplomatic health at Bascardi’s government mission, explained that sometimes travelers “worry first” about travel-related aspects, such as flights, accommodation bookings, etc., but despite this, “they Vaccinations are often forgotten and left until the last moment. It is for this reason, and the “loss of health workers, as well as holidays for workers”, that these “long waiting lists” arise.

The person in charge explained that the accumulation of requests usually occurs on an annual basis. This is nothing new. However, last year and this year, particularly in June and July, there were “record numbers” of delays due to people’s post-pandemic desire to travel. As a result, Fidalgo advises travelers to “contact us as soon as we book a trip so that health issues can be addressed in a timely manner. When you wait until the last minute, the demands build up and it’s hard to respond to everyone at the same time,” he noted.

Fidalgo emphasized that in order to cope with this overload, the Vizcaya vaccination center has added an additional doctor to its headquarters in Bilbao, adding that “the three centers in the Basque Country (Bilbao , San Sebastian and Victoria) are being strengthened and support each other. In Vizcaya and Álava, the Gypskos are being vaccinated and vice versa. Likewise, the person in charge also elaborates on the situation of the passengers different programs.

priority case

Priority cases are considered to be those “where the person traveled to a country where the injection was mandatory”. If you are on a business trip, it is also possible. “In these cases, it may be understandable to give notice without much advance notice.” These cases, combined with the case of families with children traveling to and cooperating in countries with high health risks “are given greater weight “. In these cases, health workers can work extended hours, if necessary, to care for as many patients as possible.

Of course, “appointments for these cases have to be made by phone or email,” Fidalgo stressed, because starting today, appointments cannot be obtained electronically until October.

Among the vaccines recommended to foreign countries but required to be injected at health centers, the typhoid vaccine was the most prescribed vaccine in Gipuzkoa last month, with a total of 238, accounting for more than half of the total of 423. It is a contagious disease, usually spread through contaminated food or drink, with a higher risk of transmission in Africa, Central and South America.

This was followed by the prescribing of the hepatitis A vaccine to 161 travelers. The virus, which consists of inflammation of the liver, spreads in a similar way to typhoid: through ingestion of contaminated food or liquid, and through direct contact with an infected person.

Of the vaccines administered by international vaccination centers, which reached 102 in July, the vast majority (87) were against yellow fever, a viral disease transmitted through the bite of infected mosquitoes, Yellow fever must be protected. See it for yourself before visiting the tropics of Africa, Central and South America.

Ender was one of those who received this dose because, as he was informed by the center, he had to return for the injection within a week. However, his partner Jones has been vaccinated against the virus and is therefore immune.