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Peru's President: We rely on over 60 million doses to vaccinate all adults thru end-2021

Photo: ANDINA/Presidency of the Republic of Peru

13:33 | Lima, May. 21.

The President of the Republic Francisco Sagasti on Friday affirmed that Peru relies on more than 60 million doses to vaccinate against COVID-19 all citizens of legal age before the end of this year.

Within this framework, the Head of State said the fight against the pandemic remains the top challenge for his Government, adding that the main initiatives and actions were: obtaining and administering vaccines, supplying medicinal oxygen, as well as expanding the number of hospital and ICU beds.

Likewise, a set of contagion prevention measures was adopted, taking into account the economic and social impact on various sectors.

The top official recalled that —when he took office— his administration had not found any firm contracts to purchase vaccines.

In this sense, the statesman explained that obtaining them was not easy. Yet he noted that his administration had found a single framework agreement with the United Nations COVAX Facility, which groups more than 190 nations and requires specific contracts with each provider.

"Despite the global shortage of vaccines and the limited number of companies that produce them, after long and complex negotiations with different laboratories, I can confirm that we already rely on more than 60 million doses, which are more than enough to vaccinate all those over 18 years of age before the end of 2021," he expressed.

Furthermore, the President mentioned that last January his administration signed a contract with the Chinese company Sinopharm for one million COVID-19 vaccine doses, which have already been delivered.

Other two contracts were inked in April —for one million doses— which will land in Peru in May and June.

La st February a contract was signed with U.S. pharmaceutical company Pfizer for 20 million doses, which have been arriving in weekly batches since March. Besides, additional contracts were inked in April and May with this laboratory for a total of 12.5 million doses.

Moreover, "in December 2020 we closed the deal with the Anglo-Swedish company AstraZeneca, which will send us 14 million doses starting September this year," he noted.

In addition, an agreement with COVAX Facility to receive 13 million doses was completed by signing new contracts with AstraZeneca and Pfizer to access the vaccines that arrive through this facility.

"But we have not stopped there: we continue negotiating with other suppliers, including Johnson & Johnson; the Russian Direct Investment Fund, which manages the vaccine from Gamaleya laboratory; the North American company Moderna; the German company Curevac; and the Chinese company Sinovac. We hope that these negotiations will come to fruition in the coming weeks," he pointed out.

The President also indicated that 70% of citizens, who die from COVID-19, are older adults, as well as people with genetic, congenital, and degenerative diseases. Therefore, Mr. Sagasti said he hopes that by July 28 this segment of society will have been vaccinated.

"And we will leave the next government with enough vaccine doses, and a vaccination process in operation, so that it can continue with our mission and protect the entire adult population of our country," he stressed.

Remarks were made while providing a report on the first six months as head of the Transition and Emergency Government.

As is known, Mr. Sagasti was sworn in as President of the Republic on November 17, 2020, and is set to leave office on July 28, 2021.

#PresidenciaInforma | El presidente de la República, @FSagasti, presentará a la 1:00 p. m. el informe a los seis meses de gestión del Gobierno de Transición y Emergencia.#ConfianzaYEsperanza pic.twitter.com/aXTicNcUXa
— Presidencia del Perú ???? (@presidenciaperu) May 21, 2021