MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bolivia no longer needs Sputnik V and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines

“It would no longer make sense to bring more doses of Sputnik V,” Blanco said

Bolivian authorities Monday announced that with the last purchase of COVID-19 Sinopharm vaccines, the country was fully supplied with immunizers and would no longer need to import any more doses of Sputnik V and AstraZeneca despite contracts already signed.

“We have received 1,235,000 first doses, we still need to complete approximately 900,000 second doses of Sputnik V. It would no longer make sense to bring more doses of Sputnik V,” Vice Minister of Foreign Trade Benjamin Blanco said.

“We had signed the contract for 1.7 million vaccines to be delivered to us in March, however, this has not been possible, doses have been arriving in a more reduced way. We have not been provided within the deadlines and we have been forced to correct the lack of vaccines with other companies,” Blanco added.

Regarding the AstraZeneca vaccines due to be delievered by India, the vice minister said that not a single dose had arrived because of the closure of exports by the country of origin.

Russia's failure to deliver in time and India's zero fulfillment of their parts of the contract have rendered both agreements null, Blanco explained. But although the doses will not be delivered, the quotas “will not be waived” and they could be resumed for next year if they are required, the official went on.

Bolivia had received 150,000 doses of Sputnik V's second component last week after the arrival of 125,000 other doses ther week before, so that the entire population who had received the first dose could complete their treatment.