Three different vaccine scenarios on the Brazil-Argentina-Paraguay border

In the handful of towns on the triple border of Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay, inhabitants are facing confusion due to overlapping coronavirus vaccination conditions in all three countries.

The city of Foz do Iguaçu — on the Brazilian side — currently has 3,193 doses of the Chinese-made CoronaVac and other 2,460 shots of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine at its disposal, but residents are concerned that the local government’s efforts could be in vain due to the constant flow of people going into and returning from Paraguay. While the Brazilian border with Argentina has been closed since March 2020, the Friendship Bridge separating Foz do Iguaçu and Paraguayan city Ciudad del Este has been operating as normal since October 15, after huge pressure from business owners on either side.

Residents have called on the Brazilian, Paraguayan, and Argentinian governments to come up with a combined immunization program for the triple border region.

Argentina began its vaccination campaign on December 24 using the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, immunizing more than 274,000 people so far. However, Paraguay is still waiting for the arrival of 3 million doses through the COVAX Facility initiative, while cases in the country continue to increase.

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