“Conspiracy theories are flooding social networks and that is playing a determining role in the confidence of the population.”
So said Dr Carissa Etienne, director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
During a webinar on Wednesday, Etienne asked people not to believe false theories about vaccines for covid19.
She said PAHO and the World Health Organization (WHO) are working with technology providers to deal with this misinformation.
“The vaccines delivered by PAHO through Covax have been evaluated in detail and it shows our surveillance systems are working and that leads us to adapt strategies when necessary.”
PAHO reported more than 4.2 million doses have been delivered in 29 countries in the Americas.
But it also said there had been more than 1.5 million cases and 40,000 deaths during the last week. Over the weekend the global death toll reached three million people, of whom half were from the Americas.
In South America there is also a rapid increase, Argentina being the one that worries the most.
Chile and Brazil are the countries have reported positive news, with a decrease in cases.
Dr Jarbas Barbosa, deputy director, said two countries have already received their second batch of vaccines from Covax.
But he said in Mexico, Argentina and Brazil vaccines stolen from warehouses have been offered online.
“It is a criminal activity that compromises the health system of those countries and must be investigated and rejected,” he said.
On vaccines for Venezuela, PAHO said that country has already made the first payment to participate in Covax, but the second payment is still in process and it is being decided when and which vaccines will be sent there.
Etienne asked countries which have high vaccination rates already to help the smaller countries by donating vaccines
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