Colombia first in Latin America to receive COVAX vaccines

Colombia became the first Latin American country to receive Covid-19 vaccines from the UN-backed COVAX facility. 

A shipment with 117,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine arrived in Bogota on Monday, earning praise from President Iván Duque — who once criticized the facility, saying it was “insufficient.” Colombia began rolling out vaccines on February 17; roughly 130,000 citizens have been immunized so far. 

The government expects to vaccinate 35 million of its 50 million population by the end of the year.

Besides Colombia, only Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and South Korea have received doses from the COVAX initiative so far. In March, more Latin American countries are expected to enter the list, with Peru, El Salvador, and Bolivia being first in line. 

Fourteen of Latin America’s 19 countries have begun their local vaccination campaigns.

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