Slim and Samsung promote use of electronic immunization records

The Carlos Slim Foundation and Samsung agreed to join efforts to boost the use of electronic immunization records in Mexico.

The company will make an initial donation of a thousand tablets with NFC readers to the Mexican health system.

This will allow personnel of health centers to scan a special code which will integrate to the immunization records used in all the country and generate a digital backup of the information.

“It is a milestone in the Mexican health system,” for it reinforces “the immunization system,” said the assistant secretary of Prevention and Promotion of Health, Pablo Kuri .

With this donation, it is expected to incorporate from 600 thousand to 800 thousand children of 6 states to the electronic record, and by the end of 2017 extend it to 2 million children in 8 states , and eventually to all the national territory.

The electronic immunization record began to develop in 2011 in an alliance between the Carlos Slim Foundation and the Gonzalo Río Arronte Foundation to upgrade the vaccination system.

This tool helps children to get their vaccinations on time and be protected against numerous diseases. Besides, the system allows parents to have access to all their children's information and even share it with private health centers .

The record also contains information on the pathological history and current health of the patient , thus preventing that the lack of information delays medical attention and can lead to medical errors .

“The challenge is operative right now. We have to train health personnel to use this technology, we have to run an analysis to sort out the obstacles we may find in this sense,” said Kuri.

He also stated that Mexico has consolidated as a leader in terms of immunization since it provides more than 15 types of vaccines throughout the patient's life to guarantee his total protection, which has enabled the eradication of diseases like polio, rubella, and measles.

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