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Peru's Health Ministry to immunize 20 million citizens of legal age

09:05 | Lima, Sep. 4.

Once clinical trials come to an end and COVID-19 vaccines are considered suitable for massive use, Peru plans to immunize 20 million citizens —all of legal age— during the first year of a vaccination process in various countries.

The announcement was made by Deputy Public Health Minister Luis Suarez, who also indicated that such volume of doses will come from various laboratories —all of them approved by the World Health Organization (WHO).

"Our goal is to vaccinate at least 20 million Peruvians in the first year, which is more or less the entire population of legal age in the country. Those under 18 years of age would join a second vaccination process. They are the ones who are known to have less risk of developing a serious illness," he told ATV Noticias Al Estilo Juliana news program on Thursday night.

Three processes

Dr. Suarez explained that there are three processes, which will allow the country to access this amount of vaccines seeking to stop the advance of the COVID-19 pandemic that has triggered a global health emergency.

"There are three different processes through which Peru will acquire the vaccines," he said.

A first process is the direct acquisition from the pharmaceutical company and manufacturer. Therefore, Peru has already signed confidentiality agreements with four pharmaceutical companies, from which it receives information on the progress of the corresponding research processes.

"Many of them are going to complete their processes before the end of the current year. Once there is certainty about an effective vaccine, purchase agreements can be made," Suarez explained.

A second mechanism is the COVAX Facility alliance, in which the World Health Organization, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and other international agencies participate. They intend to acquire and deliver vaccines to medium- and low-income countries around the world, thus trying to make a more equitable distribution of them.

"Thanks to this fund, it is assured that Peru —which is part of COVAX Facility— will acquire around 6.5 million vaccines, equivalent to 20% of the population," he said.

Act of reciprocity

Deputy Minister Suarez indicated that the third mechanism to continue adding vaccines occurs when a country is hosting clinical trials, as is happening with three laboratories.

Through an act of reciprocity, the hosting country obtains better prices from the pharmaceutical company that has launched the study to create a vaccine.

This way, he said, vaccines for 20 million Peruvians will be obtained during the first year of immunizations, stressing that their distribution will be homogeneous among the population.

(END) KGR/MVB

Published: 9/4/2020

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Peru's Health Ministry to immunize 20 million citizens of legal age

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