This archive report was first published on 29 October 2021.
On October 29, 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) highlighted Portugal's success in containing the spread of covid-19, attributing the country's low number of cases and deaths to its high vaccination coverage.
According to Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's technical lead on the pandemic, Portugal's vaccination efforts have been instrumental in preventing severe cases of covid-19 and deaths. 'Portugal has a very high vaccination coverage, and the number of cases is much lower than it has been throughout this pandemic. The mortality rate is also very low, despite the fact that each of these deaths is tragic,' she said.
Van Kerkhove emphasized that the main goal of covid-19 vaccines is to prevent severe cases and deaths, which is happening in countries with high vaccination rates. 'The covid-19 vaccines being used are incredibly effective at preventing hospitalizations and the need for people to have to go to intensive care units and die. What we see in Portugal, as well as in many countries, is this happening. The data supports this. This is good news,' she said.
However, the WHO also warned that vaccines alone are not enough to end the pandemic. 'Vaccines alone are not enough to end the pandemic,' Van Kerkhove reiterated, adding that the WHO continues to strongly advise the adoption of other measures, such as distancing, wearing a mask, and ventilating indoor spaces, as a way to prevent the spread of infections.
Portugal's Minister of Health, Marta Temido, also warned of an aggravation of the epidemiological situation, citing an increase in cases and deaths in the country. 'The epidemiological situation in the country over the last week has seen a worsening, this worsening follows what is the European situation,' she said.
The government official also announced that the estimates and analyzes of epidemiological modeling carried out by the National Institute of Health Doctor Ricardo Jorge point to 1,300 confirmed cases on November 7th, if the current risk of transmission remains.
