Costa Rica has administered nearly 5.6 million Covid-19 vaccines, health authorities reported this week.
The official tracker shows 5,596,495 vaccines have been administered in Costa Rica, comprising 3.4 million first doses and 2.2 million second doses. About 40% of the population has been fully inoculated.
In September, Costa Rica administered 1,317,990 doses, a single-month record. More than 318,000 of those shots occurred over the past week, as authorities pushed mass-vaccination efforts.
“To people over 18 years of age who have yet to be vaccinated: do so and take advantage of all the options and facilities to get vaccinated in the country,” said President Carlos Alvarado.
Costa Rica’s vaccination rate remains well above the global average but behind El Salvador and Panama for the highest rate in Central America.
Serious side effects associated with Covid vaccines continue to be exceedingly rare. Despite the ongoing vaccination campaign, hospitals have alerted of high occupancy; the majority are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.
Costa Rica will mandate Covid-19 vaccines for public workers, the Health Ministry announced this week. Vaccine requirements are supported by Article 150 of the country’s General Health Law, which reads:
Vaccination and revaccination against communicable diseases determined by the Ministry is obligatory. Exceptional cases, for medical reasons, will be authorized only by the corresponding health authority.
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.
Individuals should bring their identification document (cedula or DIMEX) to the vaccination site. The vaccine is free, even for those who don’t pay into the Caja. Doses are not officially available to tourists at this time, though some health areas may vaccinate non-resident foreigners.
Vaccines are available to regular and irregular (undocumented) migrants who can demonstrate their permanence in Costa Rica.
Costa Rica is administering the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines. Both comprise two doses; some people may receive one dose of each. Immunosuppressed individuals will receive a booster (third) dose in 2022.
Click here for a list of vaccination sites
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 and vaccination sites
- 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!
