Triple Border Towns between Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina Experience Different Covid-19 Vaccinations

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina are experiencing different stages of Covid-19 vaccination.

Amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, residents of the triple border between Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay are experiencing different stages of vaccination against Covid-19 in their respective countries.

While in Argentina, the first immunized people have already been administered the second dose of the vaccine, in Brazil, the national campaign began on January 18th, with a reduced number of doses available.

In Paraguay, vaccination had not yet begun by Tuesday, January 26th. According to the country’s Minister of Health Julio Mazzoleni, the campaign should begin in the second half of February.

According to the Federal University of Latin American Integration (UNILA) professor Kelvinson Fernandes Souza, given the relationship between the border cities, ideally the population of the three countries should be immunized at the same time.

“Ideally, the countries should immunize in coordination and most people should be vaccinated virtually at the same time [in the border region]. That’s what we’re expecting to achieve the so-called herd immunity,” the professor said.

In Foz do Iguaçu, western Paraná state, vaccination began on January 20th. At the time, nurse Karin Zilli, 44, was the first person to be vaccinated. She is responsible for the ICU and wards for patients with Covid-19 at the Padre Germano Lauck Municipal Hospital.

Given the low amount of doses, the coordinator of the immunization program in Foz do Iguaçu, Adriana Izuka, said that vaccination in the city is available only to front-line professionals working in the city.

“We need to reach a coverage of at least 70% of the population. It is also important that the border, Paraguay and Argentina, should also achieve this coverage,” said Adriana.

According to the State Health Secretariat (SESA), Foz do Iguaçu was provided with 3,193 doses of the CoronaVac vaccine and 2,460 doses of the AstraZeneca.

Since March 15th last year, the border between Foz do Iguaçu and Puerto Iguazu in Argentina has been closed.

In the case of the border between Brazil and Paraguay, transit between the countries was cleared on October 15th.

Coronavirus on the triple border

Foz do Iguaçu has a total of 21,703 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, with 20,735 people recovered and 330 deaths registered by the disease, according to the latest report released by the city government.

In all of Paraguay, there are almost 130,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19, with over 2,600 deaths from the disease, while in Argentina the mark of confirmed cases is now close to two million, with almost 47,000 deaths recorded, according to data released by the respective countries. There are no separate statistics for the Argentine and Bolivian towns bordering Brazil.