COVID-19 infections drop in Americas, more vaccines needed, health agency says

BRASILIA, October 6 (Reuters) – The number of new COVID-19 infections has declined over the past month in the Americas, even though only 37% of people in Latin America and the Caribbean are fully immunized, according to the Organization Pan American Health (PAHO) said Wednesday.

Over the past week, 1.2 million people were confirmed with COVID-19 in the region, up from 1.5 million new cases the week before.

Alaska has the most severe current outbreak in the United States, overwhelming emergency rooms, and Mexico is reporting an increase in the number of new cases, the health agency said.

And while South America continues to see a drop in infections, Chile has seen an increase in cases in the capital Santiago and the port cities of Coquimbo and Antofagasta.

PAHO also said it has entered into vaccine supply agreements with Sinovac Biotech Inc (SVA.O) and AstraZeneca Plc (AZN.L) for the delivery of 8.5 million doses this year, and with the Chinese group Sinopharm (1099.HK) for next year.

Jamaica, Nicaragua and Haiti have yet to achieve 10% immunization coverage, PAHO said.

“We need to focus our attention on closing this gap as quickly as possible,” PAHO director Carissa Etienne told reporters in a weekly briefing in which she urged countries with excess vaccine doses to share them. with the countries of the region to save lives.

PAHO is doing everything in its power to accelerate immunization in the region, delivering doses through COVAX – the vaccine access program co-led by the World Health Organization – supporting donations and by purchasing vaccines directly through its working capital, Etienne said.

Over the past week, 875,000 doses of the vaccine have reached countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, although this is still not enough to protect the population, she added.

The United States is donating 4 million doses of vaccine to the Caribbean, said PAHO Deputy Director Jarbas Barbosa.

Barbosa said the donations are badly needed as COVAX will not be able to meet its goal of delivering doses to 20% of the population of Latin America and the Caribbean by the end of this year.

He blamed manufacturers for COVAX’s delays, saying they preferred to produce for customers who pay more for snapshots.

Reporting by Anthony Boadle Editing by Bill Berkrot

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