110 users and employees of the two homes, in Albufeira and Paderne, of the Quinta da Palmeira Social Center, started this morning to be vaccinated against Covid-19. Also in Tavira, the vaccination of users and employees of two homes and the Continuing Care Integrated Unit was started.
These two councils, as they have the highest incidence of Covid-19 cases in the whole Algarve, are the first in the region to host the vaccination of users and employees of the Residential Structures for Elderly People (ERPI) and the National Network of Integrated Continuing Care. The operation is in charge of teams from the Central, Sotavento and Barlavento Health Center Groups (ACeS).
Paulo Morgado, president of the Algarve Regional Health Administration (ARS), who was present at the Quinta da Palmeira Center home, in Albufeira, with other local and regional officials, announced that, «this week, we are going to vaccinate around 900 users and professionals from the institutions of these two municipalities».
In January and February, he added, it is planned to "vaccinate around 9000 users and professionals" in homes throughout the Algarve region, including illegal ones.
The official explained that «we only vaccinate in institutions that do not have active outbreaks», so that, both in Albufeira (Misericórdia) and in Tavira (Lar de Santa Maria), there will be homes that, for the time being, are not yet covered. There, the vaccination will be done when the outbreaks are considered closed, "that is, 28 days after the appearance of the last case".
Simultaneously, Paulo Morgado announced that "some of the priority professionals from the Health Centers who had not been vaccinated in the previous weeks" will still be vaccinated against Covid-19. There are, in all, more «about 200 professionals».
Father Pedro Manuel, responsible for the homes of Quinta da Palmeira (in Albufeira) and the Parish Center of Paderne, said that the news that they would be one of the first in the Algarve to be vaccinated was received by the elderly of these two ERPI "with great joy" and with “a great hope”.
"With the awareness that it will not be something for tomorrow, but for a more comprehensive tomorrow, we sincerely hope that this hope will be translated into the possibility of returning to some kind of normality in these houses," he added.
As for the outbreaks that have arisen in other institutions, Father Pedro Manuel stressed that "all homes throughout the country do the best they can and what they can." Therefore, he insisted on "leaving a word of deep respect for all similar institutions, which have been going through such difficult circumstances, such as the outbreak at their doors."
As for the possible lack of employees, the responsible for the Social Center of Quinta da Palmeira assured that «we have had the support, since the beginning, of the Social Security». He admitted that "it was necessary to hire new employees", but that, with the Mares program, we already have four employees and we are expecting to have three more quickly".
That's enough for now. "But we really can never give this answer as definitive, because our employees have families, they have children in a school, they have a partner who also works, and suddenly there is an outbreak somewhere and that makes us no longer able to count with that person».
Margarida Flores, president of the Regional Social Security Center of the Algarve, underlined that “the issue of employees has been a concern”. «We are currently engaged in a major campaign to recruit employees for the IPSS», while «within the scope of the protocol with the Algarve Biomedical Center, we are providing them with adequate training for the functions they will perform».
There are also the «rapid intervention brigades», to which «there are also two institutions in the Algarve that are providing training in the elderly and disability area».
Also present at the "symbolic moment" of the start of the vaccination of users and employees of the Algarve ERPI was Secretary of State Jorge Botelho, who is the coordinator of the fight against the pandemic in the Algarve. This responsible, in statements to the Sul Informação, explained that what is being done now is "trying to stabilize the number of cases, so that there are no more contagions".
Jorge Botelho stressed “that the institutions are all working in coordination, the hospital with the ARS and Social Security” and that vaccination “has already reached health professionals and is now arriving at ERPI”. "We now hope that things stabilize and start to decline, with the collaboration of everyone, and with the new measures that can be taken."
For his part, José Carlos Rolo, mayor of Albufeira, told our newspaper that he had just spoken with the provider of the local Santa Casa da Misericórdia, who reported recent infections in her two homes, having received the news that the cases « seem to be evolving favourably'.
However, "and this has been a constant throughout these almost 11 months of pandemic", the mayor drew attention to "the unpredictability of all this: today we are talking in an optimistic way, tomorrow may be completely different".
"I have no doubts that the IPSS have done an extraordinary job in the council, and not only, however, things happen," he added.
José Carlos Rolo welcomed the start of vaccination for the elderly and home workers, underlining the “hope” it brings.
Vaccination of the elderly, between 75 and 98 years old, and employees of the Quinta da Palmeira Social Center home, in Albufeira, began at around 11:30 am, under the responsibility of the ACeS Central team. Journalists were only able to take images of health professionals through a window, without entering the premises, for reasons of safety and hygiene in times of pandemic.
Photos: Elisabete Rodrigues | Sul Informação
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