Costa Rica has administered more than 4.5 million Covid-19 vaccines, health authorities reported this week.
The official tracker shows 4,580610 vaccines have been administered in Costa Rica, comprising 3 million first doses and 1.5 million second doses. It corresponds to 88.7 jabs per 100 residents and means 29.2% of the population has been fully inoculated.
This leaves Costa Rica well above the global average but behind El Salvador and Panama for the highest rate in Central America.
“A greater number of people are reaching their maximum individual immunity to the virus that produces Covid-19,” said Mario Ruiz, Medical Manager of the CCSS.
Serious side effects associated with Covid vaccines continue to be exceedingly rare. Despite the ongoing vaccination campaign, hospitals have alerted of high occupancy.
As of September 8, Costa Rica has accumulated 5,673 deaths related to Covid-19. On Tuesday, the country added 2,956 new cases, while 1,294 people remain hospitalized (475 in the ICU).
Who can get vaccinated in Costa Rica?
All citizens and residents who are adults (18+) or who are teenagers (12+) with risk factors are eligible for the vaccine:
- Group 1: Staff and residents at retirement or nursing homes. First responders, including health personnel.
- Group 2: Costa Rica’s older population, defined here as those ages 58 and up.
- Group 3: People from 12-58 with risk factors, including hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, respiratory illness, kidney disease and obesity, among others.
- Group 4: Teachers and other staff within the Education Ministry (MEP) or private schools. Imprisoned people and judicial staff. Workers for the 911 service.
- Group 5: People ages 18-57 without any of the aforementioned risk factors. Note that some locations are vaccinating younger adults and teenagers.
Individuals should bring their identification document (cedula or DIMEX). The vaccine is free, even for those who don’t pay into the Caja. Doses are not widely available to tourists at this time, though some health areas may vaccinate non-resident foreigners.
Costa Rica is administering the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines. Both comprise two doses. Immunosuppressed individuals will receive a booster (third) dose in 2022.
Official Costa Rica Covid sources
Here at The Tico Times, we do our best to share the most relevant coronavirus information in a clear and concise manner.
As you’re navigating the pandemic and the associated ever-changing rules, here are the official sources for Covid-19 information in Costa Rica:
- For driving and business restrictions
- For daily coronavirus case/hospitalization/death counts
- For tourist entry requirements
- For vaccine eligibility by location
- For vaccine shipments
Costa Rica’s official language is Spanish, so all of the above sources will be in that language. Of course, we at The Tico Times will continue to provide timely, accurate information as it develops.
Thanks for reading!
