This article details how to get COVID-19 vaccinated in Colombia.Since many international readers have asked about the vaccination process, this comprehensive guide breaks down the system for foreign residents.
Many readers have asked about getting COVID-19 vaccinated in Colombia. Therefore, this article explores the process in detail. Additionally, a resident expat shares the first-hand experience of getting COVID-19 vaccinated in Colombia with two Pfizer doses.
Editor note: tourists originally were not eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations in Colombia. Originally for expats in Colombia, you needed a Colombian visa and cedula and be affiliated with an EPS insurance provider in Colombia to be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccination.
How Do the COVID-19 Vaccinations Work in Colombia?
Vaccinations in Colombia through the existing Colombian health system. People registered with EPS insurance will be called to vaccination appointments at their local EPS walk-in clinics. Or you can schedule a vaccination using the Mi Vacuna app for cell phones.
Since the EPS providers already have data, they can schedule people for vaccinations based on their age and health priority and avoid mass gatherings. Anyone who is a foreign resident in Colombia can join an EPS and would be in the system for vaccinations.
Several Medellin Guru readers who are members of EPS health insurance have reported being contacted by EPS providers for vaccinations. And these vaccinations are free.
Note that private companies can buy vaccines but must vaccinate for free. So, companies that do this are only for employees.
Almacentro SURA EPS location near San Diego mall
An Expat’s Experience Getting COVID-19 Vaccinated in Colombia
An expat living in Colombia received their first COVID-19 vaccination on June 3. Since this expat and their family are covered under SURA EPS insurance, they were eligible for free COVID-19 vaccinations. Below is a detailed, first-hand account of this expat’s experience navigating the vaccination process.
After downloading the Mi Vacuna app on their phones and inputting their cedula details, the expats were surprised to find out that their first vaccination appointments had been scheduled for the exact same day, June 3.
With the appointment set for June 3 at 4:20 pm, the expat headed to the Almacentro SURA EPS location near San Diego mall, where vaccinations are conducted on the second floor of the building.
Arriving about 25 minutes early, the expat was able to enter without any line outside. After filling out a short consent form with their name, ID, and age information, they were seated in the initial waiting area.
Two rows waiting to be vaccinated
After about 45 minutes, the expat’s name was called to proceed to a second room, where two rows of chairs were set up and vaccinations were being administered.
First, a staff member came down the rows to collect information, including the expat’s name, ID, address, and cell phone number.
SURA nurse administering Pfizer vaccinations
This was followed by a nurse administering the Pfizer vaccinations. Once the expat was vaccinated, they were asked to wait for 15 minutes to monitor for any potential reaction before they could leave.
In total, the entire process took about 1.5 hours from the moment the expat arrived until they left. The following day, a sore arm was the expat’s only reaction to the vaccine.
The expat’s second vaccination took place on June 24. Upon arrival, the foreigner presented the card from the first visit with the details of the initial dose. This time, the vaccinations were being administered on the third floor instead of the second.
There was no wait to join the row of chairs for those being vaccinated. For this second dose, the process took less time overall, and the expat was completely finished in just 1.25 hours.
Side Effects of Pfizer Vaccinations
Reportedly, the most commonly reported side effects, which typically lasted several days, are pain at the injection site, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, and fever.
Of note, more people experienced these side effects after the second dose than after the first dose.
For my first dose, I experienced pain at the injection site for one day. One day ofter the second dose I have not yet experienced any side effect.
Phases of COVID-19 Vaccinations in Colombia
Colombia’s plan to roll out COVID-19 vaccinations is in five phases, as follows and Colombia is currently in Phase 5:
- Phase 1 – 100 percent of front-line health workers and 100 percent of people aged 80 years old or older (most at risk).
- Phase 2 – 100 percent of the population from 60 to 79 years old and 100 percent of second- and third-line health workers.
- Phase 3 – Teachers at primary and secondary levels, military and police and 100 percent those aged 16 to 59 with underlying health issues such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and kidney deficiencies. And on May 4, the population aged 50 to 59 was added to this group
- Phase 4 – 100 percent of institutional caregivers and 100 percent of the population in risk situations.
- Phase 5 – the entire population aged 16 to 49 without underlying health issues, starting with those aged 30 to 39.
The goal is to vaccinate first those most at risk in Colombia.
How Does Colombia Compare to Other Countries for Vaccinations?
Some readers have commented that Colombia has one of the lowest COVID-19 vaccinations in the world. But this is not true.
According to CNN, over 100 countries have administered fewer COVID-19 vaccination doses per 100 in population than in Colombia, including many countries such as Australia, Taiwan, South Korea, Ecuador, Peru and Japan that have lower vaccination rates.
Colombia has 24 of the Best Hospitals in Latin America
Healthcare in Colombia
Colombia has 24 of the top 58 clinics and hospitals in Latin America, according to a study in late 2019 by América Economia. So, 41 percent of the best hospitals in Latin America are found in Colombia. Nine of these best hospitals in Latin America are located in Medellín and nine are in Bogotá.
In 2017, Colombia had 20 of the top 49 clinics and hospitals in Latin America. And in 2018, Colombia had 23 of the top 58 hospitals. So, the count in 2019 has increased to 24 of the top 58 clinics and hospitals in Latin America for 2019.
In addition, the World Health Organization (WHO) ranks Colombia’s healthcare system as #22 out of 191 countries it ranked. And no other countries in Latin America were ranked higher than Colombia. So, according to WHO, Colombia has the best healthcare system in Latin America.
Also, Colombia’s healthcare system is ranked higher than many wealthier countries like the United States (#37), Germany (#25), Canada (#30) and Australia (#32).
In Colombia, it is possible to have access to world-class healthcare at a fraction of the cost compared to the healthcare costs in North America or Europe. Furthermore, the costs for healthcare in Colombia can be significantly lower than the costs found in the U.S.
Due to having the best healthcare system in Latin America, Colombia is probably better positioned than many other countries in Latin America to handle coronavirus.
Health Insurance in Colombia
Health insurance is relatively inexpensive in Colombia and will cover you if you happen to catch COVID-19.
One of the reasons that Colombia has such a highly rated healthcare system is due to a new constitution that Colombia drafted in 1991 that made access to healthcare a basic human right to all citizens of Colombia, as well as foreign residents of Colombia.
There are three types of health insurance available in Colombia:
- EPS – Entidadas Promotoras de Salud– this is the public health insurance that is mandatory for everybody who is a resident of Colombia. The monthly premium is calculated as 12.5 percent of the monthly gross income that you declare to the EPS.
- Prepagada – this is private healthcare insurance in Colombia. The monthly premium for Prepagada varies depending on your age, the plan you choose and any pre-existing conditions.
- SISBEN – this is a free government subsidized healthcare system, which is only for very poor or homeless Colombians.
Medellin Guru has partnered with an insurance agent to offer health insurance and other insurance products like life insurance, homeowners insurance and auto insurance to foreigners and Colombians.
We partnered with Insurance agent, who is a bilingual insurance agent who speaks English and Spanish. And she has many foreigner clients and can help expats with cedulas sign up for SURA EPS to be eligible to be vaccinated in Colombia.
In less than 15 months of offering insurance services, over 130 Medellin Guru readers have obtained insurance through our partnership including health insurance, auto insurance, homeowners insurance, life insurance and travel insurance.
This service is easy to use, just click on the button below to get started.
Use the Medellin Guru Insurance Service
We highly recommend using a bilingual insurance agent to sign up for insurance in Colombia instead of trying to sign up yourself. Everything for signing up for insurance in Colombia is in Spanish and the forms can be complicated to fill out. And Insurance agent will take care of signing you up for the Colombian insurance that is appropriate for your situation.
Computer generated image of COVID-19, photo by Felipe Esquivel Reed
Medellin Guru’s Coronavirus Series
Medellin Guru has a series of articles about the coronavirus pandemic and the impacts in Colombia: Also, these articles are being kept up-to-date, as this is a fast-moving topic:
- How to Get COVID-19 Vaccinated oi Colombia: An Expat Experience
- Nightly Curfew and Dry Law in Antioquia from March 25 to June 9
- Colombia Needs to Ramp up COVID-19 Vaccinations
- COVID-19 Vaccinations in Colombia Start on February 17
- PCR Test: How to Get a COVID-19 Test in Medellín
- PCR Test: How to Get a COVID-19 Test in Bogotá
- PCR Test: how to Get a COVID-19 Test in Cartagena
- Nightly Curfews in January in Medellin and Antioquia Start on January 6
- Nightly Curfew in Medellín For Christmas and New Year’s Holidays
- Colombia is Buying 10 Million Doses of COVID-19 Vaccine from Pfizer
- Does Colombia Require a COVID-19 Test for International Travelers?
- 8 Reasons Why Colombia is Unlikely to Return to a Quarantine
- Coronavirus Cases Increase in Medellín: What Happens Next?
- New Normal in Medellín: Medellín is Returning to Normal
- Will the Quarantine Return to Colombia? What if Cases Increase?
- New Normal in Medellín: Medellín is Returning to Normal
- Colombia’s Quarantine Ends on September 1: New Phase Starts
- Tourism Impact of Coronavirus: Colombia Starts to Reactivate Tourism
- Economy Impacts in Colombia Due to Extended Quarantine
- Epicenter of Coronavirus in Colombia: Bogotá is the Epicenter
- Medellín Plans the Total Reopening of Economic Activities in the City
- When Will the Quarantine End in Colombia? On September 1?
- Humanitarian Flights from Colombia to the U.S. and Other Countries
- Beware of Fake News in Colombia About Coronavirus and Quarantines
- Reopening Gymnasiums, Churches and Movie Theaters in Colombia
- Reopening Amusement Parks, Zoos and Nature Reserves in Colombia
- Medellín Starts Free COVID-19 Tests on the Medellín Metro
- New COVID-19 Preventive Measures in Medellín to Contain the Pandemic
- Penalties for Violating the Quarantine in Medellín are Stiff
- COVID-19 Orange Alert in Bogotá: New Lockdowns in Bogotá
- Medellín Starts to Lift the Quarantine: Enters Smart Isolation Phase
- Colombia Started to Lift the Quarantine – What Does this Mean?
- Coronavirus: When Will the Quarantine Be Lifted in Colombia?
- Colombia Starts to Lift the Quarantine in COVID-19 Free Areas
- Colombia Quarantine: Nationwide Quarantine Extended to September 1
- Coronavirus in Colombia: Myth vs Reality – Current Status
- Coronavirus Hospitalization in Colombia: Myth vs Reality
- Are Medellín and Antioquia Winning the Coronavirus Battle?
- 23 Cities with a Major Increase in Coronavirus Cases in Colombia
- Colombia Coronavirus Death Rate: What are the Chances of Dying?
- Coronavirus: When Will Things Return to Normal in Colombia?
- COVID-19 Testing in Colombia: Realty About Coronavirus Testing
- Life as an Expat: During Medellín’s Coronavirus Quarantine
- Colombian Visa Process Changes: Due to Quarantine and Coronavirus
- Medellín Coronavirus Closures – What is Closed in Medellín?
- Pico y Cedula: A Restriction for Grocery Shopping in the Aburrá Valley During the Quarantine
- Pico y Cedula in Colombia: Which is Strictest Out of 5 Largest Cities?
- Medellín Quarantine Starts on March 20 for Four Days
The Bottom Line: How to Get COVID-19 Vaccinated in Colombia – An Expat Experience
The bottom line, if you are an expat in Colombia with a cedula and EPS insurance, you can get COVID-19 vaccinated in Colombia but will need to follow the phases of vaccinations in Colombia.
Colombia is currently in Phase 4 of vaccination. Note that we track daily vaccination numbers in Colombia reported in our popular article about coronavirus in Colombia that is updated daily.
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Editors note: updated on June 25, 2021 to add information about getting a second vaccination in Colombia.
Editors note: updated on July 18, 2021 to add information that Colombia is now in phase 5 of its vaccinations starting with those aged 30 to 39 and added information that private companies can buy vaccines but must vaccinate for free.
Editors note: updated on September 10, 2021 to remove that tourists with a passport can now reportedly get vaccinated in Colombia, several readers reported is not possible.
3 thoughts on “How to Get COVID-19 Vaccinated in Colombia: An Expat Experience”
I appreciate your post. Surprised it got approved!
“Colombia has best health care in Latin America”
so WHY is the ICU utilization rate so high??? by the time you get to the icu, your condition is seriously critical. that forced air pumping can cause further lung damage.
Lack of access to those highly effective treatments or not treating it early (timing is important) ???
(Ivermectin, HCQ, Dexamethasone, Vitamin D + C + Zinc, nebulized hydrogen peroxide, Monoclonal antibodies, and more….)
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/number-of-covid-cases-in-delhi-crashes-after-mass-distribution-of-ivermectin
I have a cedula and meet the age requirements but was feeling rather postal towards my EPS provider whose service I felt had added new depths to the meaning of the word shallow. I told this to a neighbor in our building and he told me that vaccinations were available at a SURA location close by. I’m not even a member of SURA but I walked up there anyway. At the Intake reception they asked me if I was a member of SURA and I said no. They responded in the Spanish equivalent of “no worries” and ushered me right in anyway. I got the jab but it was Astra Zenika, not the gold standard Phizer. There musta been a thousand people waiting for their shot but the staff was so organized and came across so competent that I was in and out in just over an hour. Amazing. The next morning I felt weak and generally yucky but by noon I was good to go.