How many children could receive the Covid-19 vaccine in Mexico

The child population in Mexico represents 25.3% of the total of 126 million people, according to the 2020 census conducted by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi).

According to Inegi's own data published in 2021, 31.8 million girls and boys between 0 and 14 years old live in Mexico.

This would be an approximation to which the federal government should apply the dose of the coronavirus-19 vaccine in case of starting a national vaccination campaign next May to serve this sector of the Mexican population.

At his morning conference on April 13, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador conditioned the start of the campaign on the United Nations (UN) sending a batch of approved marks for application to minors, such as Pfizer.

“We have pre-paid a batch of vaccines from the UN COVAX mechanism and we are requesting that vaccines for children, of authorized brands, be sent to us to begin vaccination for children with the appropriate vaccines,” said AMLO.

In our country until now, young people between 12 and 17 years of age are vaccinated only if they test comorbidities, while some children under 11 years of age have received doses through an amparo, however the president did not specify the number of minors who have already received at least one dose.

However, so far the UN has focused on providing vaccines to the poorest nations to help accelerate immunization among the general population, without specifying whether through the Covax mechanism it has provided batches with formulas designed for girls and boys.

According to the UN, it manages vaccine distribution to 92 low- and low-middle-income countries on behalf of the COVAX Mechanism, in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). In addition, it provides advice to different governments to design and execute vaccination plans.

On April 12, 2022, Mauricio Kuri, governor of Querétaro, revealed that the Mexican government is preparing to purchase vaccines for children under 14 years of age. This is after an interview with the media at the conclusion of the private meeting that the governors held with the Mexican president at the Palacio Nacional.

“That one does not have [the vaccine for minors], the President told me that it is at the door and is asking for the pending vaccines for children,” he said.

The panista also commented that during the meeting, which lasted about two hours, López Obrador asked them to support the latest massive vaccination plan, and asked them not to trust themselves, as there is a risk of regrowth.

On April 12, the head of government of Mexico City, Claudia Sheinbaum, avoided talking about the number of children in the Mexican capital who require the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and when the campaign aimed at this sector could start.

According to figures from the 2020 census, Mexico City has 1,780,000 children between 0 and 15 years of age, representing 19% of the total population in this entity.

For its part, the State of Mexico has 4,400,000 children between 0 and 15 years of age, or 26% of the total population.

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