Argentina Begins To Distribute the Second Dose of Sputnik V

Argentina began on Monday the distribution of 300,000 Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccines to complete the vaccination of those who received the first dose on December 29.

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As of Friday, this South American nation had applied 200,759 out of 300,000 doses of the Russian vaccine it received last year.

The national vaccination campaign's first stage is focused on citizens between the ages of 18 and 59 who work in hospitals, microbiology laboratories, and other health institutions located in large cities. 

The Health Access Secretariat's Logistics Coordinator Juan Pablo Saulle explained that the current "great challenge" is to keep the Russian vaccine at -18 degrees Celsius during its distribution in the country's provinces.

While health authorities also approved the use of Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines, Argentina has only acquired the Russian vaccine so far.

While the negotiations with Pfizer, Moderna, and SinoPharm continue, President Alberto Fernandez is promoting the domestic production of the vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca.

His government has also made efforts to obtain COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX Mechanism promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO).