AstraZeneca – Mexico goals to make up for Pfizer vaccine shortfall with others

MEXICO CITY, Jan 18 (Reuters) – Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador stated on Monday the federal government aimed to compensate for a discount in deliveries of COVID-19 vaccine doses from Pfizer Inc with these from different suppliers.

The World Well being Group (WHO) stated on Monday it was in superior talks with Pfizer about together with its vaccine within the company’s portfolio of photographs to be shared with poorer international locations.

Mexico had been anticipating weekly deliveries of some 400,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine developed with Germany’s BioNTech SE . On account of the U.S. drugmaker’s WHO agreements, Mexico would for now solely be receiving half that whole, Lopez Obrador instructed an everyday information convention.

It was not clear how lengthy the discount would final. Pfizer didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is at the moment the one one being administered in Mexico, which has reported the fourth-highest demise toll from the pandemic worldwide.

Mexico has additionally signed offers to amass vaccines from Britain’s AstraZeneca Plc and China’s CanSino Biologics . Mexico has accredited the AstraZeneca shot and expects to have it by March. It’s nonetheless reviewing the CanSino vaccine.

Lopez Obrador additionally famous Mexico was about to finish its assessment of a Russian vaccine, and would quickly have it obtainable, an obvious reference to the Sputnik V product.

Mexico suffered a setback to its drive to inoculate the general public with the information over the weekend that the official in command of this system, Miriam Veras Godoy, had stepped down for private causes, in accordance with the well being ministry.