The president of the Medical Association (OM), Miguel Guimarães, who this morning was vaccinated against Covid-19 at the Hospital de São João in Porto, took the opportunity to appeal to the Portuguese to "don't be afraid to get vaccinated".
"The challenge I leave to the Portuguese is that they are not afraid to get vaccinated", said Miguel Guimarães, considering that this is "an act of citizenship".
The chairman of the OM is a urologist at the Hospital and University Center of São João, having been summoned by the administration of this hospital unit for the first phase of vaccination against Covid-19 due to his activity in the area of kidney transplantation.
Miguel Guimarães was vaccinated around 11:45 am. To journalists he reported that "it was very fast, it doesn't cause any pain and the administration is extremely simple".
"I have already done other vaccines, there are more painful vaccines, this is not the case, this is a very simple vaccine, well applied, without any kind of problem", he described.
The doctor recalled that "immunity takes time to arrive" and that "it will be necessary to make a second dose on January 17" and that "from then on, yes, immunity is strengthened".
"All the means of individual and collective protection must be used", he stressed, adding that "as everyone is vaccinated, everyone will be more protected and group immunity will be achieved, which in practice means gaining the fight against this virus».
The president considered that today, the start of the national vaccination plan against Covid-19 that takes place in five hospital centers in the country – São João and Santo António, in Porto, Coimbra Hospital, as well as Lisbon North and Lisbon Central – and is monitored by the Minister of Health, Marta Temido, it is “a symbolic act” that could “help” the most indecisive Portuguese.
“I'm sure it will help. Today it is a symbolic act. It is a sign of great hope for all of us and a reason to say present, that is, to introduce ourselves and vaccinate thinking about other people and the sick and the most fragile people, thinking about reducing the mortality of the disease and the contagiousness of the disease itself », concluded.
Like other European Union countries, in Portugal the vaccine is optional, free and universal, being provided by the NHS.
Today, at Hospital de São João, the vaccination “mega-operation” mobilizes around 100 professionals, taking place over 10 hours at 25 vaccination points working simultaneously.
In this hospital alone, 2.125 vaccines against covid-19 will be administered to physicians, nurses, operational assistants and diagnostic and therapeutic technicians from services referred by the General Directorate of Health (DGS).
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