The IMSS installed a vaccination center in the rural hospital of Aldama; no one has been vaccinated or consulted for a month
Despite the efforts of the authorities to invite people to apply the COVID vaccine, indigenous communities in the highlands and jungle areas of the state of Chiapas, many people refuse to be vaccinated.
Aldama, a municipality of the Tzotzil ethnic group about 45 minutes from San Cristobal de las Casas, is one of the eight municipalities with the greatest lag in the application of the vaccine in the Altos area, here only eight percent of the population has been vaccinated.
“Very low, some that, if we reach seven or eight percent honestly, how much is the population that you have? We are like 3,500 a little bit more ”, said Alonso Pérez Sántiz, Traditional Municipal President of Aldama.
In Aldama, according to data from the Mexican Institute of Social Security, of the 3,500 adults in the municipality, only a little more than 285 inhabitants have been vaccinated, the majority still do not believe in the disease.
“I have not yet been vaccinated because well it is part of the religion that I believe in an all powerful God because really no, no, I am interested because I have faith in God,” said Lorenzo Hernández Jiménez, resident of Aldama.
Even the municipal and traditional authorities of Aldama do not accept the vaccine.
“No, I have not been vaccinated, clearly speaking it is not because I am going to deny it, because many times people are vaccinated they say and with that they fall with diseases,” said Mr. Santos Gómez López, first Aldama Councilor.
“I tell him clearly that I am not used to living with medications, when I get a fever, a headache if it is very strong, I use medicinal herbs.”, Added Pablo Santiz, Second Councilor of Aldama.
The IMSS installed a vaccination center in the rural hospital of Aldama; no one has been vaccinated or consulted for a month.
“They no longer want to attend, they are afraid of vaccines, as of the COVID vaccination day we have not put any, for a month.” Beatriz Alejandra Santiz Méndez, Vaccination Manager at the Aldama Health Center
In Chiapas, there are 22 municipalities where vaccination is low, eight of them have lags; Santiago el pinar, Aldama Chalchihuitan, Chenalhó, Zinacantán, Oxchuc, San Juan Cancuc, Mitontic.
In the municipality of Zinacantán, it does not reach one percent of the vaccinated population.
“It is the municipality that has the least vaccination, it has 0.5 vaccination of a population of approximately 24,500 people, 0.5 percent have been vaccinated, it is very low,” reiterated Javier López Baltsé, coordinator of the Road Runner Brigade, Altos de Altos district. Chiapas.
The authorities of the Mexican Institute of Social Security argue that social conflicts, population dispersion and beliefs by uses and customs are part of the problem for indigenous people of the Tzotzil, Tzeltal, Chol and Tojolabal ethnic groups to accept vaccination.
Source: noticieros.televisa.com
