RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Paraguay will receive at the end of next week a new batch of Moderna vaccine, approximately 99,600 doses, donated by Qatar, the Foreign Ministry said in a press release on Wednesday.
The Foreign Ministry explained that the shipment of vaccines had to overcome “logistical inconveniences and production limitations” since this shipment was scheduled for the end of July.
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The latest donation from Qatar arrived in the South American country at the beginning of July, with 150,000 doses of Moderna vaccines, which were added to the 99,600 vaccines delivered in June. Paraguay expects to receive a total of 400,000 vaccines donated by Qatar.
The Foreign Ministry emphasized in its communiqué that the objective of Paraguay’s Foreign Policy at this time is “to obtain vaccines in sufficient numbers to safeguard the health of the population.”
Paraguay began its immunization plan on February 22 and, since then, has vaccinated more than 2.1 million people with at least one dose. The health authorities’ initial target is to reach some 4.7 million people out of a population of just over 7 million.
Data from Our World in Data, dated July 25, show that 21.73% of the population has one dose, while 4.02% already have the full regimen.
Paraguay has accumulated 15,172 deaths and 453,794 infections since March 2020, when the country detected the first case.