Argentina has launched a Covid-19 vaccination campaign with the Sputnik V shots developed by Russia, its government said.
It is the first country in the Americas to use this vaccine against the pandemic.
The vaccination drive began simultaneously around the country with frontline healthcare workers given priority, according to Health Minister Gines Gonzalez Garcia.
She spoke at Posadas Hospital in Buenos Aires, where a doctor named Flavia Loiacono became the first in the country to get a Covid shot.
Argentina is now the fourth country in Latin American to launch a vaccination campaign, after Mexico, Costa Rica and Chile.
“We are going to have to keep taking care of ourselves. It will take a few months for the vaccine to have a widespread effect,” the minister said.
A first shipment of 300,000 doses of the Russian product arrived here on Christmas Eve.
It requires people to get two shots.
Another 19.7 million doses are supposed to be delivered in January and February.
Argentina has also signed an agreement to obtain doses of the vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, and is negotiating with Pfizer-BioNTech.
The pandemic has killed nearly 43,000 people in Argentina.
Related posts:
Argentina President Alberto Fernández contracts COVID-19 weeks after vaccination
NPHCDA opens up vaccination sites to include childhood vaccination
Nigeria launches TEACH strategy for COVID-19 vaccination
FG launches e-registration for COVID-19 free vaccination
Zamfara launches Phase III of vaccination, warns against issuance of fake COVID-19 card
COVID-19: Russia planning to conduct mass vaccination campaign in October
Britain starts Covid vaccination campaign with 90 year old grand mother
EU, partners start Covid-19 mass vaccination campaign
