The Government is preparing a strategic distribution plan to make COVID-19 vaccines available to the entire population throughout 2021,
Prime Minister Violeta Bermudez affirmed on Thursday.
In this regard, she said, the transitional and emergency Government is making every effort to start the vaccination process in the first quarter of 2021.
To that end, the
Presidency of the Council of Ministers (PCM) is coordinating with the Ministry of Health (Minsa), the Social Health Insurance System (EsSalud), the Armed Forces, regional and local governments, the private sector, the church, and volunteers, so that they can participate actively in the distribution of these vaccines across the country.
After pointing out that a vaccine has never been developed in less than a year in the history of medicine, Bermudez said that the creation, production, distribution, and application of hundreds of thousands of vaccines at the global level is an unprecedented challenge —especially for Peru— due to its logistical and financial limitations.
In this sense, the Cabinet chief noted that the country is actively negotiating with several vaccine suppliers with the aim of obtaining safe, timely, and affordable vaccines.
"These negotiation processes are long and complex, involve many actors, and are developed under conditions of uncertainty due to the fact that the vaccines' clinical trials have not been completed, their manufacturing conditions are not fully available, and the information is updated on a daily basis," she stated.
According to the government official, the logistical difficulties to store and distribute the vaccines —which require strict refrigeration conditions— pose extraordinary challenges, especially due to the complex geography of Peru.
Preventive measures
After mourning the death of thousands of Peruvians due to the pandemic, the Prime Minister highlighted the dedication and sacrifice of the medical staff, nurses, and health technicians, who have done their utmost to take care and save the lives of patients with COVID-19, putting their own lives at risk.
In this sense, Bermudez called on the population not to become overconfident and not to lower their guard against COVID-19.
(END) LIT/RMB/MVB
Published: 12/3/2020