Delays in delivery of anti-Covid-19 vaccines: Argentina threatens Russia
A woman receives the Sputnik V vaccine on February 19, 2020 in Buenos Aires.
REUTERS - AGUSTIN MARCARIAN
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
Argentina is annoyed by delays in vaccine deliveries, and let it be known.
In an official letter addressed to the Russian sovereign wealth fund responsible for promoting the Sputnik V vaccine, the Argentine government even brandishes the threat of a breach of contract if Moscow does not honor its commitments.
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With our correspondent in Buenos Aires,
Théo Conscience
Last December, Argentina was one of the first countries in the world to bet on the Russian vaccine Sputnik V. Eight months later, the South American country received only 12 of the 30 million doses ordered.
Six million Argentines are waiting in particular to receive their "
second doses
", the two injections of the Russian vaccine not having the same formula.
A "
critical
"
situation
according to the Argentine authorities, who want to complete the vaccination schedules as quickly as possible, before the spread of the Delta variant.
"
Priority to Russia
".
In an official letter addressed to the Russian authorities on July 7 and revealed Thursday, Buenos Aires threatens to "
publicly denounce the contract
", underlines that its other suppliers respect the deadlines and slips that it started negotiations with American laboratories. “
We have always done our best to make Sputnik V a success,”
the letter said, “
but you leave us very few options to continue fighting for you and this project.
"
Since that letter, Russia has delivered one million "
second doses
" to Argentina, and more than 1.5 million are expected to arrive in the coming days.
But Moscow has already promised Bolivia to reserve the next shipment, and the Kremlin spokesman recalled that the "
priority remains vaccination in Russia
".
► To read also: Anti-Covid vaccines: in Argentina, the deputies summon the labs to explain themselves
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Argentina
Alberto Fernandez
Health and medicine
Russia
Vladimir Poutine
Coronavirus
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