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Peru's PM addresses COVID-19 vaccine negotiations

Photo: ANDINA/Presidency of the Council of Ministers

15:20 | Lima, Apr. 15.

Peruvian Prime Minister Violeta Bermudez on Thursday addressed the negotiations conducted by the Peruvian State to acquire more COVID-19 vaccines.

Regarding the purchase of vaccines, the Cabinet chief explained that —in the case of Sinopharm— the Chinese laboratory has not yet finished handing over the documentation for the provisional certification that allows Peru to acquire the remaining batch of 37 million doses, which is part of the framework agreement for 38 million.

In the case of Russia's Gamaleya Institute, which produces the Sputnik V vaccine, the Cabinet chief reported that the negotiations —led by the Ministries of Health and Foreign Affairs— are advanced.

"It is guaranteed that Peru will receive 200,000 weekly vaccine doses from Pfizer this April. By the end of the month, 276,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses will be arriving in Peru, under the COVAX Facility mechanism. The amount will increase in May," she said in remarks to RPP radio and TV station.

Concerning the opinion approved on Wednesday by Congress' Economic Commission that authorizes regional governments and private companies to purchase COVID-19 vaccines, the Cabinet chief reiterated that Peruvian legislation allows this sector to buy vaccines. Nonetheless, at the moment, only laboratories sell doses to the States.

"We, the States, buy (vaccines) at large scale in order to vaccinate nationals for free. This law does not change anything because there is already a law that authorizes private parties to buy them," she explained.

(END) RMCH/VVS/MVB

Publicado: 15/4/2021