Bolivia Will Approach Full Vaccination By End Of August

President Luis Arce has announced that 8 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines will be arriving between July and August, 6 million of them from China. Vaccination will also be opened, beginning Thursday, July 1st, to everyone over the age of 18. 

In a televised address to the nation, President Arce explained that “During the month of July and August, we will already have more than eight million vaccines in the country to immunize the Bolivian people. With this, we will be close to the total number needed to vaccinate all Bolivians.”

President Arce explained that Bolivia has 7.18 million citizens that are eligible for vaccination. With the current stock of vaccines that Bolivia already has, 33% of the population can access a first dose, 23% can access a second dose. The addition of the new shipments will mean that close to 90% will have access between July and August.

6 million new doses will be of China’s Sinopharm vaccine, and another 1 million doses of Johnson and Johnson will be sent via the COVAX mechanism, while new batches of Sputnik V will be arriving to guarantee second doses for those who have already received one. 

Since the defeat of the coup in Bolivia, the country has rebuilt close relations with China and Russia, a move hailed as a crucial factor in being able to receive such large shipments so quickly.