Uruguay begins vaccinating essential workers

Uruguay kicked off its vaccination campaign on March 2, immunizing education workers, security agents, members of the military, and firefighters. The country plans to reach up to 140,000 essential workers in the coming days. Uruguay was the last country in South America to receive coronavirus vaccines. 

Vaccination will take place at 90 official centers, which will be able to immunize 30,000 people a day, says Health Minister Daniel Salinas. The government expects another 460,000 doses of Pfizer vaccines to arrive between March 8 and April 26. A shipment of 1.5 million CoronaVac shots will arrive on March 15. 

In Uruguay, vaccination is not mandatory, but unlike in Brazil it is heavily encouraged by the government as an “act of solidarity.” Due to Uruguay’s efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus in 2020, the country has one of the lowest case and death tolls in the continent, despite a peak at the end of 2020.

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