Foreign Affairs Minister Allan Wagner on Monday afternoon affirmed that, by the end of this month, Peru will have signed an agreement with China's laboratory Sinopharm for the delivery of the second batch —consisting of 2 million COVID-19 vaccine doses— in March, so as to continue with the vaccination process against this virus in the country.
In a joint session of Congressional Commissions on Foreign Trade and Foreign Affairs, the minister affirmed that the agreements with Sinopharm are vital for the arrival of the remaining 37 million doses —from a total of 38 million— since the vaccination in the first quarter of the year depends on this.
Sinopharm has already delivered a million doses to Peru, which are being used to immunize the first group of healthcare workers on the frontline of the battle against the novel coronavirus.
Additionally, Wagner remarked that
the decision of public officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to become immunized with the then-experimental vaccine developed by Sinopharm was personal, since there was no institutional decision to that effect from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In total, eight public servants at the Foreign Affairs Ministry are investigated in this matter, including seven diplomatic officials and one administrative employee, as well as three relatives.
"These are decisions taken on a personal level, there was not an institutional order on the matter (…) there was not a number of vaccines allocated to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These were personal decisions taken to make such wish come true, through Cayetano Heredia University, which oversees the test," he stated.
The Cabinet member reported that all public officials involved have been removed from office, both in Peru and overseas.
Moreover, he said there is an investigation underway to determine responsibilities and impose the corresponding punishments.
(END) DOP/JCR/RMB
Published: 2/22/2021