La Paz:
The Bolivian government mentioned on Wednesday it had signed a contract with Serum Institute for the provide of 5 million doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine.
President Luis Arce mentioned that combined with a current deal to purchase 5.2 million Sputnik V vaccine doses from Russia, Bolivia now anticipated to be in a position to inoculate all of its vaccinable population.
Both vaccines need two doses to be provided, which means they would be used to inoculate a total of 5.1 million persons from Bolivia’s 11.51 million-robust population.
Bolivia has also signed an agreement by way of the international COVAX initiative, which is backed by the World Health Organization and seeks to make certain equitable distribution of vaccines, to obtain a additional 3.6 million doses of a variety of vaccines.
Bolivia, which has endured periods of political and social disruption because contested elections in 2019 saw longtime president Evo Morales leave workplace, has struggled to safe bilateral vaccine provide bargains.
Arce mentioned the very first million AstraZeneca doses would arrive in Bolivia in April. The very first 6,000 Sputnik doses are anticipated to arrive at the finish of January.
Bolivia also took delivery of 650,000 of a promised 1.6 million consignment of COVID-19 tests from South Korea this week. The nasal antigen tests will enable Bolivia to roll out widespread testing for the illness for the very first time because the pandemic broke out, potentially resulting in a spike in reported infection numbers.
On Tuesday, the well being ministry reported 1,473 new circumstances, 176,761 circumstances in total and 9,454 dead.