Ecuador: Outgoing Government Promises 4 Million Vaccines

The outgoing government of President Lenín Moreno announced on Wednesday that, until the end of his term in May, Ecuador will have four million vaccines, although since the end of January it has only added just over 167,000.

On a national television channel, the president said that Ecuador “has contracted 20 million doses with various laboratories.”

“The processes have been direct, transparent and without any kind of intermediaries,” he added. “All the vaccines acquired have the certification of the corresponding international organizations. The advances are already paid and we will continue to pay as the laboratories comply ”.

“As of May 15, we will have completed the reception of four million vaccines, so much needed,” he added.

Since the end of January, this country has received 167,420 vaccines from Pfizer and a donation from the Chilean government, although it is expected that another 84,000 vaccines will arrive from the COVAX mechanism in the course of March, supported by international organizations such as the World Health Organization to ensure equitable access to the vaccine. An additional 194,220 immunizations from Pfizer and one million from Sinovac are also contemplated. 1.7 million vaccines from the same three sources are planned for April.

The president’s statement comes when most state hospitals, especially in the capital, are close to their maximum limit of care for coronavirus patients and those who need to be cared for in intensive care beds.

Since the start of the pandemic just over a year ago, this country has registered a total of 296,841 infected and 16,105 deaths.

Moreno must hand over power to whoever is the winner of the ballot scheduled for April 11 between Andrés Arauz, the dolphin of former president Rafael Correa (2007-2017) and the former right-wing banker Guillermo Lasso. The new ruler will take office on May 24 of this year.

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