Paraguay: Yellow Fever Scare Causing Long Lines · Global Voices
Muna Annahas

Recently, cases of Yellow Fever have been confirmed in Paraguay, which has caused at least 8 confirmed deaths. This situation is generating a mass panic among the population, long waiting lines are observed in front of health institutions,  and people are waiting for long hours under the sun to get vaccinated.  However, not everybody is so lucky to get vaccinated since there are not enough vaccines left. Neighboring countries have donated vaccines but those weren't enough for everybody, fortunately 2 million vaccines arrived from France recently and country officials are expecting 400,000 more vaccines from the United Nations next week.
Here is what some bloggers are saying about the Yellow Fever scare in Paraguay:
Muna Annahas says that Paraguay has declared an emergency situation due this epidemic:
They are investigating the origin of the disease in the patients, the ministry is very concerned about the situation so the whole population. A few people have recently died in Paraguay of Yellow Fever. Paraguay has even declared emergency situation due this epidemic attack.
Guillermo Verdún of Paraguayo [es] is tells us that while people were waiting in line under the hot sun for hours, others were receiving vaccinations in exchange for commitments to vote for a particular candidate .
Mientras en el hospital materno-infantil de Limpio había cientos de personas haciendo fila bajo un sol abrasador (foto de la izquierda) para vacunarse contra la fiebre amarilla, a una cuadra de allí, en la casa del ex candidato a intendente Guido Gómez, donde funciona el PC de Blanca Ovelar en esa ciudad, había suficientes dosis para aquellos que se comprometían a votar por la candidata nicanorista. Se verificaban los nombres en una lista a la entrada y se anotaba a los beneficiarios en un cuaderno, según pudieron corroborar periodistas de este diario.
Meanwhile, in the maternal-infant hospital in Limpio, there were hundreds of people lining up under a baking sun in order to be vaccinated against yellow fever. A block away in the house of the ex-candidate Guido Gómez, where the headquarters of Blanca Ovelar operate, there were enough vacccines for those that committed to vote for the candidate of the ruling party. They verified the names on the list upon entering and registered them in a notebook, according to journalists that corroborated the story.
Rescatar [es] says that in middle of what already seems to be a mass psychosis  generated by the lack of trust of the authorities, it began to register acts of violence during the demand for vaccination.
Comenzaron a registrarse actos de violencia en demanda de vacunación y hay gente que acampa un día antes frente a los locales donde habrá inmunización. El verano está siendo particularmente riguroso con temperaturas –a la sombra- de 35º que bajo el sol superan los 40º y muchos deben soportar estoicamente hasta que la exposición a tan adversas condiciones acaba con su reserva de paciencia.
Acts of violence were beginning to be seen as a result of the demand for vaccinations.  There are people that camp out the day before, in front of the immunization sites.  The summer is experiencing particularly high temperatures – 35 degrees Celsius in the shade, and up to 40 degrees Celsius under the sun.  Many of them must stoically support these adverse conditions, where some people begin to lose their patience.
The blog also produced a video with photos of the long lines, vaccinations and a critical rebuke of the policies of the Paraguayan government qualifying it as “useless.”  The video is titled, “The Mosquito Bites the Political Inefficiency.”