Even as Colombia has suffered record infection and death numbers in early-mid 2021, it has been advancing its vaccination campaign. Unfortunately information, even in Spanish, can be unclear and hard to find. I recently was able to get my Covid vaccination in Cartagena as a teacher and wanted to put this as best I can guide together for other expats that may be wondering how to get a Covid vaccine in Colombia.

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Covid-19 Vaccines in Colombia – Contents

• What vaccines are being applied in Colombia?
• What are Colombia’s vaccination stages and who is eligible?
• My experience getting vaccinated in Cartagena

I had found the information on getting a Covid Vaccine in Colombia unclear at best and frankly very opaque about when exactly I would be eligible, when I could go, where I could go, do I need to make an appointment, etc?

Unfortunately, I don’t think I’m going to be able to give firmer and clearer answers to a lot of those here. There are large stages that include different groups, but some of when you can go once your stage starts depends on which city you live. Still, I did think putting together an English overview of the stages, what you need to get the vaccine, and some thoughts on how you mihht be able to get clearer information could be useful for other expats wondering when they can get their Covid vaccination in Colombia.

Note, if you’re looking for a place to take a Covid test in Cartagena, see this post. If you’re curious about current curfews and restrictions in Cartagena, see this one.

What vaccines are being applied in Colombia?

There are currently 3 vaccines that have been applied in Colombia and 2 more reported to be arriving soon. The Covid-19 vaccines in Colombia are:

• Pfizer/BionTech – This is a 2 shot dose 21 days apart. It uses mRNA technology to send your cells instructions to make the “spike” protein that Covid uses to infiltrate your cells. Your cells make this, and your body responds by producing defenses against these spike proteins, protecting you from future infection by actual Covid. According to the CDC it is 95% effective at preventing transmission in a lab environment. See more about it at this New York Times article or this fact page at the CDC.
• Sinovac aka CoronaVac – This is a 2 shot dose 28 days apart. It is Chinese made. It uses more traditional vaccine technology where inactive, dead virus cells are injected, allowing your body to form defenses against future infection. There are contradicting data on real world studies of this vaccine with effectiveness ranging from about 51% (from WHO fact page), to 95% (Brazilian study), to 96% (Indonesia study).
• AstraZeneca Vaccine – This is a 2 shot dose 8-12 weeks apart. It uses a modified chimpanzee adenovirus (harmless to humans) that has the spike protein from Covid attached. Your body is then able to create defenses against the spike protein and prevent you from future infection by Covid. There has been some controversy about rare blood clots in some people vaccinated with this vaccine as well as over the company’s averaging of two different studies to publish an effectiveness rate. According to this WHO fact page, it has a 63% efficiency against symptomatic infection.
• Moderna – (reported to arrive in late June, source here). This is a 2 shot dose 28 days apart. It uses mRNA technology like the Pfizer vaccine to reverse engineer the antibodies in your body. According to the CDC, it was 94.1% effective in preventing transmission in a lab environment. Read more about it at the CDC fact page.
• Janssen aka Johnson and Johnson – (reported to arrive in July, source same as above for Moderna). This is the only 1 shot dose being used for vaccination against Covid in Colombia. It uses a modified chimpanzee adenovirus like the AstraZeneca vaccine. Like it there has been some very rare side effects from it. According to the CDC, it was 66.3% effective at preventing transmission in a lab environment. Read more about it at the CDC fact page.

So, this is probably where I need to make a very clear disclaimer that I am not a doctor. I dug into reading up on the vaccines before getting mine and found it fascinating. If you have any doubts about the safety or possible side effects, I suggest talking it over with a doctor. Data is still being collected on all of these vaccines, but most evidence I have read and seen suggests that all of them are highly effective at preventing severe illness and death and you have a one in millions and millions chance of suffering severe side effects.

Now the main reason I read up on the vaccines in Colombia has to do with the question I’m sure many of you are asking yourselves:

Can I choose which vaccine I get in Colombia?

No. You get what you get when you go. While you can theoretically call ahead or use word of mouth to find out what they are giving on certain days at certain clinics, you are not given the option to choose which of the Covid-19 vaccines being applied in Colombia you want when you go.

I know there are reasons some expats may want or not want one vaccine. For example, we are planning to travel mid-year and getting AstraZeneca and its long interval would have complicated that. There are also some countries that may not recognize certain vaccines.

In those cases, I guess you have to make what you consider the best decision for you. I came to the conclusion that I just wanted a shot in my arm and the protection it brought as soon as possible even if it wasn’t my preference of vaccines (I got SinoVac but would have chosen Pfizer if I had been able to choose). Part of why it didn’t both me I didn’t get to choose has to do with this next question:

Do you have to pay for a Covid Vaccine in Colombia?

No. If you are registered with a health insurance company (EPS), you should not have to pay a single peso for your Covid-19 vaccine in Colombia. If you are not a Colombia resident or not registered with an EPS, there is to my knowledge no way to legally purchase a Covid-19 vaccine in Colombia at this time. By the way if you are considering coming to Colombia for more reasonably priced medical work, consider checking out Apollo Medical Travel.

Colombia’s Vaccine Stages Explained

In Colombia’s vaccine rollout there are 5 stages (or etapas in Spanish). They are:

• Stage 1: People 80+ and frontline Covid medical workers (complete)
• Stage 2: People aged 60+ and other medical professionals/caregivers (complete)
  • The age based vaccines rolled out in 5 year intervals
• Stage 3 (current stage): All people aged 50-59, people aged 16-49 with risk factors, teachers (public and private), military and police personnel, medical office workers and other non-frontline medical staff, and some other professions. See full list and information (including the conditions that count as risk factors) here (loads a pdf in Spanish). At the end of this stage, about half the adult population should be vaccinated.
• Stage 4: All people aged 40-49. This stage also includes a number of different populations that are at a moderate risk of exposure to and spreading of the virus and include incarcerated people, social workers, pilots and flight crews, and homeless people. See full list and information here (loads a pdf in Spanish). At this time it has not been formally announced but this article suggests it may begin in July.
• Stage 5: Everybody else 16+. The plan calls for this to begin with people aged 30-39 first. There is not a clear plan to vaccinate children under 16 at this time. See full list and information here (loads a pdf in Spanish). According to that article above, the hope is this is completed by the end of 2021.

That means if you are 50+, have one of the risk factors that qualify under Stage 3, or work in one of the professions listed there, you are currently eligible to be vaccinated. If you are 60+, you should be able to go just about anywhere and get your vaccine as a walk in. If you are in Stage 3, it will depend city to city if you can go as a walk in or need to schedule a time.

How do I know if I am in the current Colombian vaccine stage?

If you believe you qualify under Etapas 1, 2, or 3, you can verify by checking in the MiVacuna Web Portal. You will have to enter your ID number (you should use what you are registered as in your EPS health provider) and its issue date. Then you will be taken to a page where you should see your stage in a little square at the top right.

Note that at this time, you cannot see if you are registered in one of the other, later stages. Before I was eligible as a teacher it just simply said you are not currently eligible (or something like that). Unfortunately, there’s not way to verify you are registered for future stages at the time.

It is probably worth noting that the president announced Etapa 3 started on May 22 but it was a couple weeks later before any shots in arms happened as they had to make a plan for how to roll it out. So, it is likely you won’t actually be able to go immediately after the announcement of your stage starts. In fact, it was a few days I think before I showed in MiVacuna even after the announcement.

What should I take to get my Covid vaccine in Colombia?

If you are eligible and have either been scheduled or are currently able to go as a walk in, you should take a copy of your Cédula (or ID) and of your prioritization in MiVacuna. I had to write an emergency contact, my EPS, phone number, and what school I worked for on the copy of my cédula when there as well as fill out a questionnaire about allergies, if I had had Covid, and other standard medical questions you would expect, and sign a consent form.

Where can I get my Covid vaccine in Colombia?

This is where it is going to be hard for me to give clear information. The truth this, at least here in Cartagena, this information is not clear or easy to find somewhere. I had heard there were only 2 clinics teachers could go, I had heard you could go as a walk in but then read you have to be scheduled. My EPS was still not allowing me to schedule it online. In Bogotá they were doing public school teachers but not private school teachers. In some places university professors are able, and in others they are not yet. Where I went, they did let me do it as a walk in (and were not doing other non-teachers in etapa 3, only teachers and people from etapas 1 and 2 coming for 2nd doses). My wife has since gone to another not one of the 2 supposedly teacher sites and got it.

So….what can I say? This is Colombia. My suggestion is if you are in the current Etapa, check with your EPS to see if you can schedule it. If you have trouble, try checking out local newspapers to see if they are discussing if walk ins are allowed, allowed for certain age groups, or if it’s only with agendamiento.

At least here in Cartagena, the Mayor’s and Dadis health office Facebook pages are often usually more up to date than their websites. There is a list of places on this press release from May 31. You can also check MinSalud’s Facebook page as they will update things that apply nationwide. Finally, word of mouth is probably actually the best source of information in this case. Go to your closest vaccine site and see what they tell you, if you are in the current stage there’s a good chance they may just allow you to get it.

My Experience Getting My Covid Vaccine in Cartagena

I went to the Clinica San José de Torices, one of the 2 clinics I had heard were for teachers. A tip, take a pen, because they don’t have any but I was lucky and borrowed one from someone.

Once I filled out the forms and information on my cédula copy, I was added to a list. There was one list for those like me getting their 1st dose and another for people there for their 2nd. Every so often, they would come out and call 15-20 names to come inside and wait in the waiting room of the inside of the clinic. When it was your turn, they would call you back, you get the shot, then you are put in another waiting room for 15 minutes. After my 15 minutes was up, the nurse gave me back my cédula and my MiVacuna card filled out with the date for my next vaccine. No Bon Bon Boom, unfortunately.

Overall, pretty easy. I would say I was there for about 90 minutes total. For what it’s worth, I got SinoVac and had no averse effects, at least for the first dose.

So, that was my experience. For anyone else who has gotten their vaccine, especially if you’re in another city in Colombia, I would love for you to share your experience as it may help someone else wade through the opaqueness of it all!

Cheers and Safe Waiting for Your Vaccine!

The post Practical Guide to How to Get a Covid Vaccine in Colombia + My Experience Getting a Covid Vaccine in Cartagena appeared first on Cartagena Explorer.