Bolivia receives one million Janssen vaccines against COVID

Bolivia received on Sunday just over a million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccines against COVID-19 donated by the United States through the COVAX mechanism of the World Health Organization (WHO).

“These vaccines will serve to immunize 14% of the vaccinable population (7.1 million Bolivians over 18 years of age) and reinforce our vaccination campaign,” said the Minister of Health, Jeyson Auza, at a press conference after the arrival. from the United States of the Bolivian plane with the cargo.

This is the first batch of the single-dose Janssen vaccine to arrive in the country, but it is the second shipment that the Andean nation receives through COVAX, making a total of 1.4 million vaccines.

“The people of the United States are proud to offer these vaccines in solidarity with the Bolivian people. As President Joe Biden has said, these vaccines are provided free of charge and without conditions, ”said US Minister Counselor Jarahn Hillsman.

Bolivia began its inoculation campaign in February. By June it had received a little more than a quarter of what had been announced. The government of President Luis Arce announced the arrival of six million doses of Sinopharm vaccines in different shipments this month.

The youth gave the campaign a boost by breaking attendance records last week.

Bolivia is going through the third wave of the pandemic and is in a de-escalation, except for La Paz, the seat of government that is about to reach the plateau, according to health authorities.

The Ministry of Health reported on Sunday that 11% were vaccinated with the two doses and 28% of Bolivians over 18 years of age have received a first dose of the Sputnik V, AstraZeneca, Sinopharm and Pfizer vaccines.

So far, more than 453,595 cases of coronavirus and 17,200 deaths have been reported in Bolivia, according to the Ministry of Health.

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