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(Updates with Russia's Sputnik vaccine, expected arrival of
AstraZeneca doses, health official's comments)
By Anthony Esposito
MEXICO CITY, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Mexico is considering
acquiring 24 million doses of Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19
vaccine and will receive its first batch of AstraZeneca
jabs from Argentina to finish production of them, a top Mexican
health official said.
Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell, who traveled to
Buenos Aires last week to discuss Argentina's vaccination
campaign using Sputnik and the production of AstraZeneca's
vaccine, said Mexico reached agreements to potentially acquire
the Russian vaccine.
"We're thinking that we could use up to 24 million doses of
this vaccine, for 12 million people," considering that Sputnik
requires two doses, Lopez-Gatell told a regular evening news
conference.
Citing "reasons of urgency," Mexican President Andres Manuel
Lopez Obrador said on Thursday that Lopez-Gatell would ask
about Argentina's experience with the Russian vaccine, including
any adverse reactions, to see whether Mexico could also acquire
it.
Additionally, Lopez-Gatell said the first batch of
AstraZeneca vaccine doses produced in Argentina were en route to
Mexico and would arrive later on Monday or Tuesday.
Both Mexico and Argentina have authorized use of the
AstraZeneca vaccine. They plan to manufacture it jointly for
distribution in Latin America. Mexico has said shots will be
given starting in March.
Mexico is seeking to ramp up its vaccination campaign as
coronavirus cases and deaths climb and hospitals in Mexico City
and the neighboring State of Mexico near capacity.
On Monday, Mexico reported 7,594 new confirmed coronavirus
cases and 662 more fatalities, bringing its total to 1,541,633
infections and 134,368 deaths.
The real number of infected people and deaths is likely
significantly higher than the official count, the Health
Ministry has said, because of little testing.
(Reporting by Anthony Esposito; Additional reporting by Noe
Torres; Editing by Kim Coghill and Peter Cooney)
