MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina donates over 4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines

Most vaccines were close to their expiration date

Argentina's health authorities have confirmed the country has donated over 4 million Astra-Zeneca COVID-19 vaccines to countries in the Caribbean, Africa, and Southeast Asia in a move to reduce inequality.

The total 4,272,000 doses donated were from the ChAdOx1 nCov-19 vaccine, known as AZD1222, from the firm AstraZeneca UK Limited, produced in Argentina and packaged in Mexico.
Bolivia and Egypt are two countries to have benefited the most from Argentina's donations, with one million doses each.

Vietnam and the Philippines received 500,000 doses each; Mozambique, 450,000; Kenya, 400,000 and Angola, 350,000.

In the Caribbean, Barbados took 30,000; Saint Lucia, 18,000; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Granada, 11,000 doses each; and Dominica 2,000.

Most vaccines were close to their expiration date (some expired at the end of December 2021 and others at the end of January 2022).

In the decrees published in the Official Gazette to authorize the sending of the doses, the Government justified the action on “the principles of solidarity and fraternity” and stressed that the SARS-Cov-2 virus pandemic “constitutes a global challenge that requires a solidarity strategy aimed at equitable access to vaccines aimed at generating immunity” against COVID-19.

“The Argentine Republic considers that the joint efforts between the nations are substantial to limit the economic and health effects of the pandemic,” the presidential decree went on as it highlighted “equitable and timely access to vaccines.”

The Government also said it had enough vaccines to make donations “without affecting the objectives outlined in the Strategic Plan for Vaccination against COVI-19.” Argenina had received 7,063,400 doses from the United States, Canada, Mexico and Spain.

“The countries with the highest vaccination coverage have to collaborate to reduce inequalities in access to health and thus avoid new variants,” Presidential Adviser Cecilia Nicolini said.