Vaccination as a top priority - Portuguese admiral makes his country a frontrunner

He only retired from his post as Fleet Commander of the Portuguese Navy (2017 to 2020, a good part of which he also served as Commander European Maritime Force (EUROARFOR)) at the beginning of 2020, but he doesn't have much time left as a pensioner for the time being. At the beginning of 2021, when the infection figures in Portugal were at the top of the world after the second wave of coronavirus and the health system's dams were threatening to break with 2,000 deaths per week, clever politicians remembered Vice Admiral Henrique Gouveia e Melo: could this naval officer achieve what politicians are perhaps not trusted to do - namely create cross-sectional herd immunity in the population? Portugal is a maritime country and not unmanageable, the population had been allowed to take a frightening look into the abyss and Admiral Gouveia is a now white-haired but tall man who can organise like an admiral and instil confidence with his calm but determined demeanour - that could work! In fact, in eight months he has managed to double vaccinate 98% of the vaccinable population (84% of the total population) and reduce the rate of new infections to a few hundred per day. A rigorous lockdown in the spring was crucial in breaking the chains of infection. "The most important thing is to turn this into a war", Admiral Gouveia is reported to have said. He then proceeded in a correspondingly martial and clearly organised manner, assembled a hand-picked staff of around forty doctors, analysts, mathematicians and military leaders from all branches of the armed forces, ran through the military decision-making process and drew up a plan for his task force. "Roll up your sleeves and fight the virus!" The local authorities also understood this, and within a short space of time the vaccination lines were working like an assembly line against the backdrop of military logistics. The population also realised this and joined in. Where there was resistance or discussion, Vice Admiral Henrique Gouveia e Melo went there himself in his olive green combat suit and talked to the people. Without coercion or new regulations, he made Portugal one of the best-vaccinated countries in Europe. It doesn't have to work everywhere, but it could!

Assumption of command January 2017 (Marinha Protuguesa)

Deutsche Welle on the situation in Portugal

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