Martínez-Zavala B, Hegewisch-Taylor J, Arango-Angarita A, Barragán-Vázquez S, Rojas-Calderón H, Uribe-Carvajal R, Yañez-Santaolalla J, Zuñiga-Bañuelos J, Venegas-Aviles EY, Gómez-Dantés H. Escudos sociales y balas mágicas para el control de la epidemia por Covid-19 en México. Salud Publica Mex. 2022:64:218-224.

Abstract

The first Covid-19 case was identified in Mexico in February 2020. Health authorities promoted non-pharmacological prevention measures to counteract the progress of the epidemic and, at the end of the year, they announced the application of the first vaccines in the country. Globally and locally, vaccines marked a milestone, positioning themselves as “magic bullets”; nevertheless, they faced several difficulties such as mass production, distribution logistics, variable effectiveness, phased implementation that prioritized vulnerable groups, rejection and low risk perception by certain groups in the population. The emphasis on population-based preventive measures or “social shields” was eventually diluted with the arrival of new vaccines. This essay highlights the importance of maintaining “social shields” as key preventive measures complementary to vaccines, since “magic bullets”, on their own, present challenges that could compromise their effectiveness.