BOGOTÁ (Reuters) – Colombia will begin vaccinating COVID-19 on Wednesday after the country’s first vaccines arrive from Pfizer Inc, President Ivan Duque said in his nightly broadcast on Monday.
The government had planned to administer the first dose next Saturday, after the first doses of the vaccine arrived in the country on Monday. The health ministry said last week that it expected more than 5.7 million doses from different providers in February and March.
“Today we received this first batch,” said Duque. “The vaccination process will start the day after tomorrow, on Wednesday, February 17th.”
The first vaccinations will take place in the cities of Sincelejo and Monteria, capitals of the provinces of Sucre and Córdoba, respectively, said Health Minister Fernando Ruiz during the transmission.
Vaccination will begin on Thursday in the capital Bogotá, as well as in other major cities.
The goal is to vaccinate 1 million Colombians in the first 30 days and Monday’s shipment is the first of a 1.65 million block that will arrive in the next three weeks.
The country has the capacity to carry out up to 100,000 vaccinations a day, the ministry of health added.
Frontline health professionals will be the first to be vaccinated, followed by those over 80.
Colombia recorded just under 2.2 million cases of coronavirus and 57,786 deaths.
(Reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb and Oliver Griffin; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Richard Chang)