Guatemala Receives 100,000 COVID-19 Vaccines Donated by India

Guatemala on Tuesday received 100,000 COVID-19 vaccines donated by India that will allow authorities to continue the vaccination campaign in the country.

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The donation of Covishield vaccines manufactured by AstraZeneca laboratory arrived at 23h00 local time on a plane from Mumbai, India.

The immunizer, which requires the injection of two doses between eight and twelve weeks apart, joins the 2,500 Moderna vaccines given by Israel to the Latin American country last week.

"India's solidarity will allow us to continue immunizing health workers," Guatemala's Foreign Affairs Minister Pedro Brolo said and admitted that the vaccines purchased by President Alejandro Gianmattei are delayed.

On February 25, Guatemala kicked off its campaign by vaccinating health workers with the doses donated by Israel. With the new shipment, the country will also begin immunizing the elderly and people with underlying diseases.

Until then, Guatemala was one of the few nations on the continent that had not received any dose of COVID-19 vaccines.

In January, Giammattei promised the arrival of 400,000 AstraZeneca vaccines by February through the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility (COVAX). One month later, Health Minister Amelia Flores stated it is unknown when these doses will arrive in the country.