Protests and blockages in Bolivia due to lack of second doses of Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19

Bolivia reported this Thursday 967 new infections and 30 deaths by COVID-19 at a time when impatience was generated by the lack of second doses of Russian vaccines Sputnik V, after the announcement of a delivery time and the extension of validity between doses from 90 to 180 days.

The regions that presented the most new cases are La Paz with 235, Santa Cruz which registered 233, Cochabamba with 170 and Chuquisaca which quantified 134, while the other departments presented infections between 12 and 86.

Impatience for second doses

On the second doses of Russian vaccines Sputnik V, In some cities like Sucre, the capital of the country, there have been protests and blockages from several people who have not received this request even though they had already scheduled it., according to local media.

On Wednesday, the Bolivian government claimed that the second doses of the Russian vaccine would take a few days longer than expected and indicated that the period of validity of the first dose was extended from 90 to 180 days, something that was approved in a statement on Thursday.

Entities such as the Bolivian Medical College have criticized the expansion after considering that there were no studies to support the possibility, although a few weeks ago he mentioned that failure to meet the deadlines would mean that those who received the first dose would have to start the vaccination procedure again.

Some departmental health services (Sedes) have argued that they will reprogram the application of these doses while the vaccination continues with those of other laboratories.

Another vaccine that will also experience delays is that of AstraZenecaAccording to the government, something that annoyed a group of people in La Paz who did not receive the complementary dose and who threatened to block some streets.

Arrival of more vaccines

In a report released this week by the Minister of Health, Jeyson auza, in Parliament, we knew that Bolivia has already received 6.5 million vaccines against the coronavirus via bilateral purchases, like the Chinese Sinopharm and Sputnik V, while those of AstraZeneca, Pfizer and J&J came thanks to the Covax mechanism of the United Nations.

To these we must add half a million more Chinese compound Sinopharm whose arrival is announced for this Friday.

Bolivia signed contracts at the end of December and January for the supply of 5.2 million Sputnik V vaccines and a similar quantity of AstraZeneca, however these provisions have not been completed or simply have not taken place because of the urgency that exists in the countries where they occur, such as Russia and India.

In the vaccination, which started at the end of January, the application of 2,742,827 first doses and 1,144,931 of the second were carried out.

Since the start of the pandemic in March last year, 17,576 deaths and 466,318 confirmed infections have been reported, of which 51,828 remain active.

Lack of second doses of Sputnik V in Venezuela

The NGO United Doctors of Venezuela denounced this Wednesday the lack of Russian vaccines Sputnik V for the application of second doses against COVID-19 and requested an explanation from the authorities on this situation.

“We demand answers, enough procrastination, where are the second doses of Sputnik V vaccines? They started a chucuto vaccination plan (incomplete) without planning the full schedules. One dose is not enough to get protection“, Said the NGO in a message on Twitter.

He also added that “the uncertainty” due to this situation “overwhelms Venezuelans”.

Both Doctors United and the health sector unions in Venezuela They denounced that the vaccination against COVID-19 is progressing slowly and in a disorderly manner.

Until July 4, a total of 2,508,201 people had been vaccinated in Venezuela, according to Nicolás Maduro at the time.

The dictator assured the same day that Venezuela had vaccines to immunize 20% of the population, which represents about six million people, but did not specify when these drugs arrived in the country.

The last public figure for the arrival of vaccine doses dates back to June 12 when Health Minister Carlos Alvarado said the country had received 3.23 million drugs between Chinese Sinopharm and Russian Sputnik V.

(With information from EFE)

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