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In a race with obstacles and fighting in Europe for delays in planned plans, the world is rushing the coronavirus vaccination. While in Argentina the process started with the Russian Sputnik V, neighboring countries are also making progress in their vaccination campaigns. Or at least in the plans. Here, a visit to the Southern Cone.
Chile
With an average of around 4,000 new daily cases of coronavirus in recent weeks, Chile already has a total of 740,000 infections and 18,808 deaths during the 11-month pandemic. But in recent days, he has shown speed in his vaccination plan.
The Chilean Ministry of Health reported on Saturday that a total of 556,000 people had already been vaccinated in the country, three days after the start of the mass vaccination of the elderly, who joined the health workers who began to receive the first dose in December.
Piñera received the first shipment of vaccines from China on January 28 at Santiago de Chile airport. Photo: AP
The government and municipalities have empowered stadiums, plazas, sports centers and their own primary health care centers across the country since Wednesday, in order to comply the goal of vaccinating 5 million people by the end of March and reach 15 of the more than 18 million inhabitants by July 2021.
The trans-Andean country began vaccinating its health workers in December, when it received a first batch of 154,000 doses from the US laboratory Pfizer. Later, doses from Chinese laboratory Sinovac were also added.
Chile has entered into agreements to purchase approximately 36 million doses with Pfizer, Sinovac, Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca. For now, there is no pact with Moderna and they do not rule out advancing later with the Russian Sputnik V.
Brazil
With more than 9,447,000 infected and more than 230,000 dead – the second country with the most deaths and the third with the most cases in the world – Brazil, with more than 210 million inhabitants, launched its vaccination plan on 18 January, after several controversies over the delay.
For now, the vaccine from Chinese laboratory Sinovac and that from the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca are being used, which so far has only received formal authorization for emergency use.
This Saturday, 3.36 million people had already been vaccinated. And among them, 1,962 have already received a second dose, according to a count by the press group which includes the main media in the country.
The Brazilian Ministry of Health also announced on Friday that negotiates purchase of up to 10 million doses of Russian vaccine Sputnik V. Although they clarified that it will depend on the cost, which must be “competitive”, according to the executive secretary of the ministry, Elcio Franco, quoted by the Brazilian agency.
A Brazilian doctor receives the first dose of the Oxford coronavirus vaccine in Rio de Janeiro at the end of January. Photo: REUTERS
If an agreement is reached, the country could receive up to 400,000 doses per week after signing the contract and another two million the following month, so that the rest of the doses, 7.6 million, would be in Brazilian territory the second. or third month. .
In addition, the pharmaceutical company Pfizer announced this Saturday that it had asked the Brazilian health authorities for the final registration of its vaccine against covid-19.
Bolivia
As of Saturday, Bolivia, with 11 million inhabitants, had a record 10,687 deaths and 225,910 positive coronavirus cases since March 2020, when the virus was first detected in the country.
Bolivia began its vaccination campaign on January 29, with Russian Sputnik V serum, and by Friday 7,430 “frontline” medical workers had already obtained the first dose.
The country has received a first supply of Sputnik V vaccines of 20,000 doses. It is expected that in February, he will receive one million vaccines (900,000 doses of AstraZeneca and 92,430 of Pfizer) through the United Nations COVAX mechanism.
A medical worker displays a box of Sputnik V vaccine at a Santa Cruz hospital on January 29. Photo: AFP
In March, he would receive the remainder of the 5 million Sputnik V endowment he had purchased, plus a delivery from AstraZeneca.
Uruguay
With 43,300 people infected and 478 dead since the start of the pandemic, Uruguay plans to start vaccination in March.
On January 23, President Luis Lacalle Pou announced the purchase of nearly 3.8 million doses of vaccines from Pfizer and Sinovac laboratories (respectively 2 million and 1,750,000 doses). The country also plans to receive 172,800 doses of AstraZeneca in the coming months through the United Nations COVAX Mechanism.
Paraguay
Paraguay, with some seven million inhabitants and a social group marked by inequalities, has accumulated around 136,800 infected people and nearly 2,800 coronavirus deaths since March 2020. And it is preparing to start vaccination. The government expects the doses from the Covax platform, purchased from the AstraZeneca laboratory, to reach the country in the coming days.
Meanwhile, Paraguayan Minister of Health Julio Mazzoleni announced last Thursday that the country had signed a contract with Russia to acquire Sputnik, although he did not specify the number of bottles that will arrive.
Paraguay announced last week that its immunization schedule, which will begin with health workers, will continue with people over 60, although the minister said within this group it is likely that ‘it will start with people over 80. The country hopes to vaccinate 30% of its population by the end of this year.
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