Argentina faces Sputnik V production teething problems

On December 24, Argentina became one of the first countries in Latin America to begin its vaccination program and more than 283,000 people have received jabs as of February 3. However, Argentinian authorities have struggled to start domestic production of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, coming up against logistical problems.

The country was expected to have around 5.2 million doses of the Russian vaccine by this point, but only 820,000 have been shipped due to disagreements with suppliers South Korea and India. Furthermore, Argentina has yet to begin its domestic production of the vaccine.

Argentina’s ambassador to Russia, Eduardo Zuain, admitted that producing the immunizer at home is a “long-term plan,” as the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) forecasts a “two to three-week delay.”

Authorities estimate that setting up a vaccine factory from scratch in Argentina would take between 12 and 18 months, at an estimated cost of USD 60 million.

• Also: Russian Covid-19 vaccine to be produced in Brazil

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