Uruguay announces extension of vaccine validity for entry of foreigners

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The country’s health authorities have decided that the validity period of vaccines for non-resident foreigners will be extended from 6 to 9 months.

Last Monday, a decree signed by the Uruguayan president stipulates that “people who can prove they have been administered the single dose or two doses against SARS CoV-2 approved by their country of origin, within the past 9 months prior to boarding or landing in Uruguay and once the respective waiting periods to achieve effective immunity have been met, will be exempted from having to comply with isolation.”

“In such case, they will be required to present a certificate issued by their country’s health authority attesting to vaccination,” the decree adds.

In addition, the document also clarifies that minors entering the country together with their parents, but who are not vaccinated against the coronavirus will not have to comply with quarantine. The Uruguayan health authorities point out that the decision was taken based on scientific evidence which shows that children “are less likely to transmit the virus and tend to have a mild rather than serious illness.”

On Tuesday, Uruguay surpassed the 1 million booster doses of the Covid-19 vaccine administered, representing almost 1/3 of its population.

According to the Covid-19 vaccination data monitor developed by the Uruguayan Ministry of Public Health (MSP), 1,000,859 people (28% of the population) received a third dose since it began to be administered in the South American country last August 16.

The booster dose plan, scheduled to include inoculation with U.S. pharmaceutical company Pfizer vaccine, is intended for people vaccinated with the Chinese Coronavac and also for immunocompromised people who received Pfizer, Coronavac or the Anglo-Swedish AstraZeneca vaccine.

In addition, the Ministry of Health on September 30 approved the third dose of Pfizer for health care personnel, who have been inoculated with 2 doses of the U.S. vaccine.

As of Tuesday, 2,585,169 people (72.97% of the population) had completed their immunization schedule with the Chinese Sinovac, Anglo-Swedish AstraZeneca and U.S. Pfizer, while 152,982 people were vaccinated only with the first dose.

In August, the World Health Organization called for a global moratorium on the third vaccine dose and for the vaccination of adolescents in wealthy countries to be deferred until at least 10% of the populations of each country had been immunized, a request that was not widely supported by most nations.

Although only Uruguay, Chile and Canada exceed 70% of their populations fully immunized, more countries in Latin America are planning to administer a third dose.

Uruguay has accumulated 389,363 cases and 6,059 deaths due to Covid-19 since the health emergency was declared on March 13, 2020 when the first 4 cases were detected.