Guillermo Lasso: “As of January we will begin to apply the third dose (of the vaccine against COVID-19) to all Ecuadorians” | Ecuador | News

The president highlighted the support of the United States, China, Russia, Spain and Canada. He assured that a new phase will include the vaccination of children under 12 years of age.

EFE

September 9, 2021 – 4:37 p.m.

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The President of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, highlighted this Thursday that it has managed to carry out “the largest logistical mobilization” in recent times in the country, thanks to the support in vaccines from the US, China, Russia, Spain and Canada.

“Vaccine diplomacy is nothing but direct and permanent direct contact with friendly countries such as the United States, China, Russia, the support of Spain and Canada.”Said the Ecuadorian president in an interview with Efe at the Carondelet Palace in Quito.

Lasso detailed that The US donated about 10% of the required vaccines, China provided 65%, and that the great effort in mass vaccination of the population -75% of the Ecuadorian population over 16 years of age in 100 days- has been possible thanks to the collaboration of different sectors of society.

“On May 24, in my inauguration speech, I told Ecuadorians that we would carry out the largest logistical mobilization in recent times. That is what we did,” he remarked.

In addition, highlighted the world record achieved on July 15 by vaccinating 2.5% of the population in one day, and on August 17, when 407,530 second doses were applied.

When the current Ecuadorian Executive took office, only 3% of the Ecuadorian population -17 million inhabitants- had the complete guideline and the previous Government left 1.8 million doses.

Starting next Monday, Ecuador begins the vaccination of minors between 12 and 15 years of age and is considering administering a third booster dose starting next year, Lasso said.

“From January we will begin to apply the third dose to all Ecuadorians, for now we want to extend until the end of the year we will exceed 80%”, Added the Head of State.

Lasso asserted that the country has a stock of 4.2 million vaccines until the end of September and about 5.5 million in round numbers for the next few months to complete the two doses or complete vaccination schedule for most of the population. .

“We have guaranteed the supply of doses until the end of the year and we have a budget”, He assured before advancing that a new phase will include the vaccination of children under twelve years of age.

The Executive does not rule out that vaccines may be manufactured in Ecuador and for this, the reestablishment of the Izquieta Pérez Center, closed in 2012 by the Rafael Correa government, is being analyzed.

“We have prepared a technical team to begin all the exploration of this project with two alternatives: China or Russia,” he said about the possibility of “carrying out a laboratory for Ecuador.”

Ecuador is currently the third South American country with the highest percentage of fully vaccinated people, after Uruguay and Chile, according to Bloombergs Vaccine Tracker, and the fifth in the entire continent with the highest number of doses administered per 100 people, above from the USA, according to Our World in Data. (I)

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