San José.— If the US governments oppose vaccinating and mobilizing the millions of irregular migrants living in the Western Hemisphere against the coronavirus, America will lose the war against COVID-19, the Macedonian warned Alexander Arnikov, medical specialist in public health and epidemiology from the International Organization for Migration (OIM
As an IOM health and migration specialist for America, Arnikov called it ‘unacceptable’ to exclude irregular migrants from the vaccination, be it the 12 million in U.S or the 6 million Venezuelans and thousands of Cubans, Haitians, Central Americans, Africans and Asians who cross borders and urban and rural areas of Mexico and the rest of Latin America and the Caribbean
If a country refuses to apply the drug to foreigners, for the simple fact that there is no document proving their migration normality, the citizens and other residents of that country will be exposed to people without vaccination who cannot access them. spread, he explained in an interview with THE UNIVERSAL
What is the danger of not vaccinating irregular migrants?
– The risk is not because they are irregular, it is because there is a dangerous option if not all migrants are involved in the vaccination campaigns. That is the greatest danger. It is unacceptable that the most affected persons are always those in an irregular situation, in conflict, living in poverty, and displaced by natural disasters or conflicts. All these groups must have fair access to immunization services.
Before the disease, migrants were more vulnerable due to linguistic, cultural, political or social barriers that made it difficult for them to access health care and which have now grown as a result of xenophobia, stigma and exclusion. Many labor migrants lost money and ended up in a difficult situation.
Colombia decided this month to vaccinate 1.8 million Venezuelans who have already migrated to that country and those arriving in the next two years. What does this message represent for other countries receiving migrants, regardless of their nationality?
– It is an excellent initiative to respond [a la crisis sanitaria]It is a good example that other countries can take into account. It is very important to involve all groups of migrants in vaccination campaigns. When governments make these kinds of decisions to take in migrants [en la vacunación], will be a step forward to regularize their overall status. We must understand that we are all in this situation, with no exceptions.
Yes, no one can come of the world …
[Ríe] Sure everyone, without exception. That is why we need inclusive vaccination campaigns, taking into account all categories, and especially the most vulnerable.
If we’re not all hospitalized, this pandemic will stay with us for much longer than we want.
This is a very critical moment: we need to wake up and accept that migration is a daily process, that it is with us from the beginning and will be there forever.
And how can the vaccination of irregular migrants be funded in countries such as Latin America and the Caribbean in economic turmoil?
– For that we have the Global Access Fund for Covid-19 Vaccines [COVAX, por sus siglas en inglés], an international public and private alliance for more equitable distribution and access to vaccines. Many countries have started to vaccinate with the Covax initiative. We don’t have other solutions, but we have to find them.
Could there be a negative reaction when nationals of a country see migrants being vaccinated before many of their countrymen?
– If we don’t involve everyone in the vaccination, we will lose the fight against the pandemic. That’s for sure. There must be clear and important messages from governments to rule out xenophobia and stigmatization of migrants and to make the community understand the need to include everyone.
The reality is that health is a right.
“Everyone is right.” It is not important whether we are in a normal or irregular situation: we all have the right to health, to life. It is one of the fundamental rights and we cannot change it. Governments should be reminded that this epidemic is extraordinary and that the importance of the right to health is one of the few fundamental rights that we all have. We are all equal for that right, be it migrants, refugees, people without freedom or displaced persons. If we’re not all vaccinated, we’ll lose the battle and have the virus for much longer than we want.
Illegal migrants in the United States may fear that if they are vaccinated they could be detained and deported. Is it a real risk?
-It is real. Many fear not only vaccination, but also access to health services, which may be limited by this fear. It’s a real fear. Not all countries are for migrants.