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Russian Sputnik V vaccine expands reach in Latin America

2021-03-04T19:13:51.626Z


Nine countries in the region have approved the use of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine, which is cheaper and can be stored at higher temperatures than others.


(CNN) -

Russia's Sputnik V vaccine has seen growing popularity in Latin America as more countries announce shipments and agreements to purchase the covid-19 vaccine.

Nine Latin American countries have so far approved the use of the Sputnik V vaccine: Argentina, Bolivia, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, and Venezuela.

The distribution of the vaccine has also started in Argentina, Bolivia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay and Venezuela.

The vaccine has been approved in 39 countries around the world, according to the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which is responsible for marketing the vaccine.

The Sputnik V vaccine has a cheaper list price and can be stored at higher temperatures than the Pfizer vaccine, which has made it attractive to Latin American countries with less developed economies and infrastructure.

It requires two doses taken 21 days apart to be effective.

Argentina became the first Latin American country to distribute the Sputnik V vaccine in late December, with the purchase of up to 25 million doses.

The country has already distributed more than 600,000 doses.

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Since then, Venezuela and Mexico received shipments of 100,000 and 200,000, respectively, in early February.

Nicaragua began distributing the vaccine on March 2 after receiving a donation of an undisclosed number of doses.

  • This is how the Sputnik V vaccine spread throughout the region

Russia's difficulty in complying with the production of the Sputnik V vaccine

As Russia struggles to keep up with demand, some countries have only received very small shipments.

Bolivia received 20,000 doses of Sputnik V in January, though it waits long enough to eventually vaccinate 2.6 million people.

Paraguay announced the purchase of one million doses, but so far it has only received 4,000.

Russia has acknowledged the contraction in production and has considered launching regional production centers in several countries, including Brazil, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Some interest has been expressed in producing the Sputnik V vaccine locally in Latin America.

The RDIF recently announced an agreement with the Richmond Laboratories of Argentina to begin producing the vaccine in the country, although it has not yet provided a deadline for delivery.

Experts have repeatedly raised concerns about transparency around Sputnik testing and its expedited clearance in Russia.

However, the vaccine was found to be 91.6% effective against symptomatic COVID-19 and 100% effective against severe and moderate illnesses, in an interim analysis of phase 3 vaccine trial results published in The Lancet.

- Report contributed by Mitchell McCluskey in Atlanta, Stefano Pozzebon in Bogotá, Tatiana Arias in Atlanta and Tim Lister in Spain.

sputnik VVaccine against coronavirus

Source: cnnespanol

All news articles on 2021-03-04

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