Police officers and teachers next in line for COVID-19 vaccine in Spain’s Andalucia

VACCINATION against COVID-19 for teachers is underway in Andalucia with Police officers and Guardia Civil next in line.

This second phase of the vaccination campaign against coronavirus in Andalucia includes pre-school, primary and secondary school teachers, both in public, private and state-subsidised schools and the region’s Security Forces, including Police officers and Guardia Civil.

Vaccine doses for teachers in Andalucia have started this Monday in Jaen and Granada with teachers in Malaga, in the Axarquia health district, among the first to get their shots in the province this Tuesday.

In the province of Malaga, this means 23,996 professionals of which 18,918 are from public schools; 3,761 from private schools and 1,317 from subsidised schools.

For the time being, the process will begin with teachers up to 55 years of age, who will be administered the AstraZeneca vaccine, currently not recommended for over-55s.

The Minister of the Presidency, Elias Bendodo, explained this Monday that the Andalucian Government is waiting for authorisation to apply this vaccine on older age groups.

The process, according to the Junta, could last for a month with the vaccination of security forces to commence next week.

To date, Andalucia has administered a total of 607,936 vaccines against coronavirus since the vaccination campaign began on December 27 which represents 89.46% of the total number of doses received.

Currently, a total of 215,021 people have already received two doses (2.54% of the population), of which 16,894 are from Almeria; 29,886 from Cadiz; 24,335 from Cordoba; 26,616 from Granada; 12,895 from Huelva; 19,148 from Jaen; 37,787 from Malaga and 47,460 from Sevilla.

Bendodo has said that despite the number of vaccines already distributed and administered across the region, ‘more vaccines are needed’.

“If the government wants to fulfil its commitment of 70% vaccination coverage for this summer, the rate of vaccinations has to increase,” he said.

Assuring that Andalucia has the capacity to vaccinate up to 500,000 people a week.