In America, a third of citizens have no vaccination against SARS-CoV-2, while 10 countries and territories remain today with coverage below 40 percent, an authorized source warned.
According to the director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Carissa Etienne, this situation creates obstacles in the fight against the disease.
As in Europe, he said, the most transmissible sublineages BA.4 and BA.5 of Ómicron are becoming the dominant strains in the region.
However, he believed that the high vaccination coverage in Europe means most patients with Covid-19 can safely manage their symptoms at home, but this is not the case in the American zone.
He then urged countries to apply public health measures such as physical distancing and the use of masks, and advised hospitals in areas with low vaccination coverage to prepare for an influx of people carrying the virus.
Despite a general decline in Covid-19 in the region, Etienne warned the number remains high with a report of 1.6 million new infections in the past seven days.
Canada saw a 20 percent increase in diagnoses, some countries in Central and South America also reported increases, while hospitalizations in the Caribbean continue to rise.
The official urged to use all necessary tools to keep the population healthy.