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

MEXICO CITY (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 pictures 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 presently 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 accumulate vaccines from Britain’s AstraZeneca Plc and China’s CanSino Biologics. Mexico has accepted the AstraZeneca shot and expects to have it by March. It’s nonetheless reviewing the CanSino vaccine.

Mexico is because of make the AstraZeneca vaccine, and Overseas Minister Marcelo Ebrard stated on Twitter that the lively ingredient would on Monday be despatched to Mexico from Argentina, permitting producers to begin the ultimate packaging course of.

Mexico stated it additionally expects to approve the Sputnik V vaccine to be used quickly, although it’s prone to purchase fewer doses than it had beforehand urged.

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