Mexico, Chile and Costa Rica began administering the first Covid-19 vaccines in Latin America on Thursday, while the region hardest hit by the disease seeks relief from the pandemic.
The first injection was broadcast live from a hospital in Mexico and aired during President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s daily press conference. It was administered to the head of nursing at an ICU unit at the General Hospital of Mexico City. In Chile, the government selected five health professionals for vaccination, which was also televised. Costa Rica also started its vaccination campaign on Thursday. All three are applying Pfizer Inc shots.
The arrival of the vaccine offers a glimpse of hope to a region particularly devastated by the virus. Brazil has the second highest number of deaths caused by the virus in the world, with Mexico close behind in fourth place. Mexico’s death rate is also one of the highest in the world. Hospital occupancy in Mexico City has reached 85%, and a study says that health services can be overwhelmed soon.
“Mexico is the first country in Latin America to have this vaccine,” said the president of Mexico at a press conference. “Pfizer is delivering on its commitment.”
Vaccine Push
Chilean and Mexican economies will gain from comprehensive vaccine coverage
Source: Bloomberg
Virus scanner: Global cases 78.8 million; Deaths 1.73 million
Mexico’s government plans to vaccinate about 3,000 people on Thursday, what officials are calling a trial. Pfizer is expected to ship another 50,000 doses to Mexico next week.
In Chile, a plane arrived on Thursday morning with the country’s first 10,000 doses. During a news conference, President Sebastian Pinera said the country plans to vaccinate most health professionals and citizens at risk – about 5 million people – in the first quarter of 2021.
Nurse receives coronavirus vaccine at Hospital Metropolitano de Santiago, Chile, on December 24.
Source: Chilean Ministry of Health / Getty Images
Brazil, the Latin American country with the highest number of Covid-19 cases, was left behind in the region’s race to inoculate the population. The drive to get injections was hampered by political struggles and setbacks in the schedule of the locally produced Coronavac vaccine.
The oldest date released so far for vaccinations in the largest economy in Latin America is January 25, only for the state of São Paulo. The country’s Supreme Court has also ruled that Brazilians may be required to take the vaccine.
Read more: Brazilian Supreme Court ruling against Covid Anti-Vaxxers
Although Latin American nations have lagged behind developed countries in their vaccine implantation programs – the US has already administered over one million doses – Mexico and Chile have guaranteed more doses of the virus than anyone else in the region.
300,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine arrived in Argentina on Thursday as well. President Alberto Fernandez thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin in a social media post on Twitter Thursday afternoon for the “commitment” he had shown to Argentina and said the shipment would start the largest vaccination campaign in the country. country history.
– With the help of Valentina Fuentes and Michael D McDonald
(Updates with details of Argentina’s vaccination plans in the final paragraph.)