Uruguay vaccinates half of its population

Uruguay has now rolled out a total of 1.8 million coronavirus vaccines, meaning that 51 percent of the country’s population has received at least one dose. Only Chile has a better vaccination rate in Latin America. Uruguayan health authorities now plan to inoculate citizens between 12 and 18 years old this month. 

The national campaign relies on three vaccines: CoronaVac — recently approved by the World Health Organization —, Pfizer, and AstraZeneca’s Covishield. 

Despite the promising vaccination coverage, coronavirus infections are on the rise in Uruguay, with 90 percent of all 4,300-plus deaths tallied so far occurring in the past six months. By October 2020, the country had confirmed just 52 coronavirus deaths. Experts say the spread is fueled by new variants of the virus, but also by the government’s delay in imposing restrictions as case numbers began increasing.

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