Caracas / Panama City, October 9, 2021 (PAHO / UNICEF)– Venezuela received 2.6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines this Saturday as part of the second shipment made to the country by the COVAX Mechanism. With the sum of this shipment, Venezuela has received 3,288,000 doses of the total acquired of 12,068,000 doses of vaccines.
This second installment consists of vaccines against COVID-19 produced by the Sinopharm laboratory, and managed through the Revolving Fund of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), within the framework of the agreement established between the country and the global COVAX initiative.
PAHO, UNICEF, and other partners have accompanied the country in the technical planning process for the introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine in Venezuela, which has included the acquisition of supplies necessary to carry out the process, such as the protective equipment for personnel participating in operational vaccination activities.
PAHO in Venezuela, following the priorities identified with the country, supports health authorities at all levels in logistics for the deployment, distribution, conservation, and application of vaccines, including:
- Mobilization of vaccines for the routine program through the Revolving Fund and donors,
- Contracting 23 refrigerated transport vehicles for the adequate and timely distribution of vaccines and supplies, from the central level to the 24 federal entities and at the local level,
- Contracting of 54 land transport units and 15 boats for river access to approach communities with difficult access,
- Support in the training activities of 15,214 health human resources at the different levels of immunization program management,
- Printing of 15 million vaccination cards, vaccination registration forms, epidemiological surveillance and micro-planning booklets,
- Technical support in the surveillance of post-vaccination events,
- Acquisition of 65 computer equipment to strengthen the vaccination and epidemiological surveillance information system,
- And the design of monitoring plans for risk communication in different sectors of the Venezuelan population, among others.
In addition, PAHO continues to work to expand access to vaccines and accelerate vaccinations in the Americas region, which includes the delivery of COVAX doses, support for donations, and the purchase of vaccines on behalf of the member countries of the the region and the establishment of platforms to increase vaccine production.
For its part, and in coordination with health authorities, UNICEF has supported national efforts to strengthen the cold chain, and thus, store not only routine program vaccines but also COVID-19 vaccines. Since 2019, UNICEF has invested around $ 2 million in equipment needed to ensure that vaccines are properly stored and transported until they are applied to children and mothers.
UNICEF has also received additional funding of $ 16.5 million to ensure that vaccines are transported and stored at the proper temperature, both COVID-19 vaccines and routine immunization for children. With these funds, UNICEF will be able to purchase humanitarian supplies and maintain the vital equipment necessary for vaccination campaigns, such as the purchase of nine cold rooms, one hundred freezers, 530 solar refrigerators, 34 stabilizers and nine power generators, among others.
About COVAX: COVAX is the mainstay of vaccines Access to Tools Accelerator of COVID-19 (ACT), an innovative global collaboration to accelerate the development, production and equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments and vaccines. The goal of COVAX is to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines to all countries in the world. It is made up of the Coalition for Innovations in Preparedness against Epidemics (CEPI), the Gavi Vaccine Alliance and the World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with UNICEF, vaccine producers from developed and developing countries, the World Bank and others.
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