Bolivia Immunizes 85% of the Population

La Paz, Dec 21. -As much as 85 percent of the Bolivian population was immunized this year to eradicate transmissible diseases, the National Immunization Program (PAI) said Monday.

Only 15 percent of the population was not vaccinated, mainly because they refused to go to health centers to comply with the whole vaccination program, said Max Enriquez, the head of PAI.

In other cases, medical brigades had difficulties reaching some communities, especially in border areas, so efforts continue to find strategies to ensure that all Bolivians are immunized, Cambio newspaper quoted Enriquez as saying.

The departments with the greatest difficulties are Chuquisaca, Potosi, and Cochabamba, because their populations are scattered, while other regions such as La Paz has hard-to-access populations.

Strategies to eradicate measles and diphtheria will be implemented next year. (Prensa Latina)