The Undersecretary of Health says the arrival of the Omicron variant in Mexico is inevitable, but that the efficiency of vaccines "are still valid".
“We can pretty much guarantee that omicron will end up being one of the predominant variables in the world. Of course it can include Mexico, let’s assume it will, just as it will reach other countries,” said Hugo López-Gatell, Mexico’s Undersecretary of Health.
He explained that the Omicron variant detected in South Africa has already been found on five continents, therefore “measures such as travel cancellations or border closures that seriously damage the well-being of people does not have scientific support.
“The omicron variant has not been shown to be more virulent or necessarily more transferable. It has not been identified to cause a more serious disease, so the effectiveness of vaccines is still valid,” he said about the scientific information available so far.
The undersecretary stressed that the “great concern” of the World Health Organization is not due to a greater virulence of the variant, but to the “unequal distribution of vaccines in the world.”
In a conference at the Old City Hall in Mexico City, he reported that according to international organizations, infections by this variant have already been detected on five continents, adding that it’s just a matter of time before it reaches Mexico.
The government of Mexico has already said they will not close their borders to travelers due to the new variant.
