ARGENTINA DONATES 4M PLUS COVID JABS TO THE CARIBBEAN, AFRICA, SOUTHEAST ASIA

Avellon Williams 

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA – In an effort to reduce inequality, Argentina’s health authorities confirmed it has donated more than 4 million Astra-Zeneca COVID-19 vaccines to countries in the Caribbean, Africa, and Southeast Asia.

All 4,272,000 doses donated were from the ChAdOx1 nCov-19 vaccine, AZD1222, produced in Argentina and packaged in Mexico by AstraZeneca UK Limited.

The two countries that have benefited the most from Argentina’s donations are Bolivia and Egypt, each receiving one million doses.

In Vietnam and the Philippines, 500,000 doses were administered each; Mozambique received 450, 000 Kenya received 400,000, and Angola received 375,000.

In the Caribbean region, Barbados received 30,000 doses; Saint Lucia received 18,000; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Granada each received 11,000 doses, and Dominica received 2,000 doses.

There were many vaccines nearing expiration dates (some would expire in December 2021; others by January 2022).

In the decrees approving the sending of the doses, the Government justified its action on “the principles of solidarity and fraternity” and said that the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic “constitutes a global challenge which requires a solidarity strategy aimed at equal access to vaccines intended to generate immunity” against COVID-19.

“The Argentine Republic considers that joint efforts between the nations are a significant contribution to limiting the economic and health effects of the pandemic,” the presidential decree went on to emphasize “equitable and timely access to vaccines.”

It was also determined that the government had enough vaccines to make donations “without affecting the objectives set forth in the Strategic Plan for Vaccination against COVID-19.”

Argentina had received 7,063,400 doses from the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Spain.

Presidential Adviser Cecilia Nicolini said the countries with the highest vaccination coverage should work together to reduce inequalities in access to health care and to prevent the creation of new disease variants.