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Peru's PM: Contracts have secured 80 million COVID-19 vaccines for 2021

Photo: ANDINA/Diffusion

14:17 | Lima, Jul. 24.

Peruvian Prime Minister Violeta Bermudez on Saturday affirmed that the contracts signed with international laboratories have secured over 80 million vaccines against COVID-19 for the present year.

The high-ranking official indicated that once President Francisco Sagasti's administration had taken office in November 2020, they found only one framework agreement with the COVAX Facility mechanism. However, no contracts had been signed.

Likewise, the Cabinet chief explained that the task of the former administration's Foreign Affairs Ministry was to acquire Pfizer vaccines.

However, this process was suspended due to the governmental transition from ex-President Martin Vizcarra to ex-President Manuel Merino.

"When we took office, the President (Francisco Sagasti) resumed coordinations; thus, we were indeed able to boost the signing (process)," Bermudez said in remarks to RPP TV and radio station.

"The first one that was presented to us was with the Sinopharm laboratory, and we continued coordinating with other laboratories to ensure the diversity of vaccines that we could acquire and to ensure certain delivery dates," she added.

In this sense, the Cabinet chief said that the incoming administration of President-elect Pedro Castillo should feel happy about not having to negotiate or purchase vaccines because these "are already negotiated and acquired."

Furthermore, the government's spokeswomen pointed out that there is a minister present every time a new vaccine batch lands in Peru to show citizens that these arrive progressively.

The Prime Minister indicated that these will arrive according to the schedule.

Earlier this week, the current President affirmed that the vaccines to immunize citizens against coronavirus, which were acquired from various laboratories around the world, are secured until January 2022.

"Thus, we already have around 100 million secured doses," he stressed.

As is known, President Francisco Sagasti's administration —which took office in November 2020 to lead the Transition and Emergency Government— is set to leave office on July 28, 2021.

Titular de la PCM: La pandemia tiene que pasar, quedará quizá como un duro recuerdo. Y estos árboles nos harán recordar que la pandemia también sirvió para unirnos como peruanas y peruanos, para enfrentar juntos un objetivo común. pic.twitter.com/r4Av8L1YEP
— Consejo de Ministros (@pcmperu) July 24, 2021

Titular de la PCM: Recordaremos que en un momento de crisis sumamos esfuerzos con los Gobiernos locales y regionales, con las personas comprometidas con nuestro país y salimos adelante. pic.twitter.com/JMQ4V1BvNm
— Consejo de Ministros (@pcmperu) July 24, 2021