Ministers Arreaza, Alvarado receive third batch of Sputnik V vaccines - MPPRE

Ministers Arreaza, Alvarado receive third batch of Sputnik V vaccines

On Monday, at the Simón Bolívar International Airport, Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza, in the company of Health Minister Carlos Alvarado and Russia’s Ambassador Sergey Bagdasarov, received a flight, operated by state airline Conviasa, carrying 50,000 Sputnik V vaccines.

This is the third batch of vaccines from Russia amid an increase in COVID-19 cases and the detection of the Brazilian variant in the country.

Foreign Minister Arreaza explained that Venezuela has rigorously established its participation in the World Health Organization’s Covax mechanism to secure vaccines, and soon it will establish a Bank of Vaccines to immunize 70% of the population.

“The Venezuelan people should know that their Government is making great efforts amid difficulties, and as we have managed to handle well the pandemic, we will also manage to vaccine you all. We are making efforts despite the seizure of $7 billion and the siege to our production and oil sales,” added Arreaza.

Health Minister Carlos Alvarado announced a total of 98,000 health workers have been vaccinated, and he said the Venezuelan Government expects to use this third batch to vaccinate people over 60 years old suffering from life-threatening diseases.

“We have resorted to all the mechanisms of our alliance with Russia, China, Cuba and India. Despite the unilateral coercive measures, Venezuela will guarantee vaccines for all Venezuelans,” said Alvarado.

Ambassador Sergey Melik-Bagdasarov expressed his satisfaction with this third shipment and reaffirmed his commitment to strengthen the fraternal ties between Russia and Venezuela.