> UNITED STATES SENDS 3.5 MILLION DOSES OF MODERNA VACCINE TO ARGENTINA

Around 3.5 million doses of Moderna vaccine will be arriving in Argentina in the small hours of today, donated by the United States to combat Covid-19, government sources confirmed Friday.

Two Aerolíneas aircraft flew to Memphis between Wednesday and Thursday where they loaded up for the flights arriving today.

“It’s a record donation for Argentina, the biggest in Latin America,” said the sources.

“The United States and Argentina are working together as partners to battle against this global pandemic,” said US Embassy chargé d’affaires Marykay Carlson in statements to the press, confirming the news.

“We’re proud to be able to deliver these vaccines, whose safety and effectiveness has been recognised, to the Argentine people. This is a unique moment in history, requiring leadership and joint work. The US will continue to lead efforts to construct a safer world protected against the threat of infectious diseases and it pleases us to work in close collaboration with Argentina in this important task,” she added.

US President Joe Biden announced in May that the United States would donate 80 million doses of vaccine to face global needs.

At the bilateral level the US government has donated over US$4 million in supplies against the pandemic in Argentina. In April Admiral Craig S. Faller, chief of the Southern Command, visited Argentina to donate three field hospitals, search and rescue equipment and other supplies to help combat outbreaks of Covid-19.

Argentina’s government announced last Sunday that it signed an agreement with the American laboratory Moderna for the supply of 20 million doses of its vaccine against covid-19 in 2022.

The Alberto Fernández administration has “signed an agreement with the company Moderna Inc for the supply of 20 million doses of its Moderna Covid-19 vaccine or equivalent doses of the vaccine for administration as a booster,” the Health Ministry said in a statement.

Doses of the Moderna shot, which is based on novel messenger RNA technology, should be available “from the first quarter of 2022,” confirmed the portfolio, adding that the deal “opens the possibility” of receiving a donation of vaccine doses from the United States government in the remainder of this year.

“We are taking a key step in our strategy of having all possible technological platforms, while we continue negotiations with other laboratories,” Health Minister Carla Vizzotti said, quoted in the statement.

The US laboratory confirmed a deal had been agreed on Monday, saying it “appreciated the support.”