Mexico’s Long-Term Plan for Covid-19 Control and Vaccination Program

Mexico Presents Long-Term Management Plan for Covid-19

The Secretary of Health, Jorge Alcocer Varela, unveiled the comprehensive Long-Term Management Plan for controlling Covid-19 in Mexico. This plan emphasizes the inclusion of the Covid-19 vaccine in the Universal Vaccination Program and takes into account the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Debate Over Monovalent and Bivalent Vaccines

However, a debate has arisen regarding the use of monovalent and bivalent vaccines. Undersecretary Hugo López-Gatell defended the use of monovalent vaccines manufactured by the federal government, stating that bivalent vaccines, which protect against new variants and subvariants, are not necessary.

It is worth noting that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently revoked the authorization for the use of Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 monovalent vaccines due to the numerous mutations the original strain has undergone since its emergence.

Nonetheless, López-Gatell referred to a technical document issued by the WHO in May 2023, which suggests that vaccines developed for the original or subsequent variants are effective in preventing severe illness and death.

He stated, “Contrary to what interest groups and certain media outlets claim, there is no need for new vaccines. The narrative surrounding the necessity of bivalent vaccines lacks scientific support.”

A Comparison to Influenza

The official also highlighted that the behavior of Covid-19 is expected to resemble that of influenza, with an increase in cases during the winter season. The long-term management plan took into account the stability in Covid-19 epidemiology and relied on reports from the Pan American and World Health Organizations (PAHO/WHO) for the Americas region, as well as scientific data from various studies on the virus’s behavior.