Mexico has purchased another 22 million COVID-19 vaccines from China.
The purchase includes 10 million Sinovac vaccines, as well as 12 million doses of the new Sinopharm vaccine.
The news comes despite the fact that the Sinopharm vaccine has yet to be approved for use by Mexican regulators.
This morning, Mexico also received a shipment of just over 600,000 Pfizer-BioTech vaccines and is expecting 667,000 more on March 16.
The announcement was made by Mexico’s secretary for foreign affairs, Marcelo Ebrad Casaubón. The secretary highlighted the role played by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in procuring the vaccine contract. He also assured the Mexican public that they would not rest until everyone who wanted a vaccine had received it.
Earlier: COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Yucatán extends to five new communities
Despite the fact that Mexico was one of the first countries to begin vaccinating against COVID-19, the country of roughly 130 million people has only administered 2.84 million inoculations.
With over 190,000 fatalities, Mexico ranks as the third country with the most COVID-19 related deaths. The United States and Brasil take the No. and 2 spots respectively.
Vaccinations in Yucatán continue at a steady but slower-than-expected pace, and are being administered exclusively to people 60 and older in communities outside Mérida, and to medical professionals.
Officials have not announced when vaccinations are expected to begin in Mérida.
