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ARGENTINA | 23-03-2021 12:47

Argentina welcomes another 500,000 doses of Sputnik V vaccine

A new shipment of 500,000 doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine arrived in Buenos Aires from Moscow on Monday. Argentina has now taken delivery of more than 4.8 million doses of various jabs.

Argentina welcomed a further 500,000 doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine ib Monday, as the government continued its vaccination programme.

The doses arrived at Ezeiza International Airport on Monday afternoon via an Aerolíneas Argentinas plane returning from Moscow.

According to a statement from the Health Ministry, this latest delivery lifts the total number of vaccines received by Argentina to date to 4.88 million. Around 3.2 million doses have been administered to date.

“We are receiving half a million Sputnik V vaccines, which means that we already have 3.3 million doses of this type and 4.8 million doses in total, which are already being distributed [across the country],” said Health Minister Carla Vizzotti, as she spoke to the press after the arrival of the jabs.

Along with the Sputnik V vaccines, produced by the Russian laboratory Gamaleya, Argentina has received shipments of the Sinopharm vaccine fromChina and Covichield doses from India's Serum Institute. 

“Our intention was that the people at greatest risk — that is adults over 60, individuals with existing illnesses, security staff, healthcare workers and teachers — could be vaccinated by March 31. I think that date is going to be extended for a month, but if we manage to finalise the last [vaccine] agreements, we will be able to fulfil our goal before the end of April,” President Alberto Fernández said on Monday while visiting a vaccination clinic at the University of Lanús.

The government has also warned that it could impose tighter border controls, given that it is asking Argentine citizens to avoid going on trips abroad due to the wave of infections in neighbouring countries and the prevalence of new coronavirus variants.

Argentina registered 6,401 new cases and 126 deaths on Monday. A total of 2.25 million have been infected since the pandemic began, and 54,671 deaths have been registered in the country of 44 million inhabitants. 

– TIMES/AFP
 

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