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ARGENTINA | 24-11-2020 22:07

Government wants to begin Covid-19 vaccinations in January

Government plans to start its massive vaccination programme in January, as long as the vaccines are ready available, says Health Minister Ginés González García.

The government plans to start its massive Covid-19 vaccination programme in January, as long as the vaccines are ready available, Health Minister Ginés González García said on Tuesday.

"I estimate that it will be in the first half of January, but obviously it is absolutely subordinate to us having the vaccine," he said at a press conference following the first meeting of the government's new vaccination taskforce, headed by President Alberto Fernández.

Argentina has a fatality rate from the virus that is among the highest in the world. To date, the country has recorded more than 1.4 million confirmed cases and more than 37,000 deaths.

"It all depends on the availability of the vaccine. There is no approved vaccine yet," said González García.

The government has plans in place to ensure it has access to the leading frontrunners. Argentina has confirmed agreements with Russia for its Sputnik vaccine, as well as the alternative developed by the University of Oxford and the AstraZeneca laboratory.

In separate comments to the press, Defence Minister Agustín Rossi said that the Armed Forces "will be in charge of logistics" of the vaccination operation.

Senior officials say they want to access to 60 million vaccines and intend to vaccinate as much of the population as possible.

– TIMES/AFP

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