As the Ministry of Health (MINSA) in Nicaragua continues to vaccinate a total of 167,500 people with the second dose of the Covishield vaccine, the government of Nicaragua welcomed the latest delivery of Sputnik V from Russia, delivered as part of a contract with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF).
This much needed delivery will breathe new life into the Voluntary Vaccination Program and will hopefully bridge the program to when the COVAX commitment made by India can be fulfilled. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has previously stated that, despite the cancellation by India earlier in the year, Nicaragua (along with Bolivia and Haiti) will receive their COVAX donation of the “made in India” AstraZeneca vaccine (Covishield) by the end of June/July 2021.
The current phase of the program is for those people aged 60 and above and were vaccinated with their first dose in April. MINSA anticipates concluding this second round by July 9th 2021. It is presumed that the MINSA vaccination team will then administer the first dose of the latest Sputnik V delivery.
That delivery was made last night, Tuesday the 15th of June 2021, arriving at the Augusto C. Sandino International Airport in Managua and The Russian Ambassador to Nicaragua, Alexander Khokhólikov was on hand at the airport to make the delivery to the Presidential Advisor for Investment, Trade and International Cooperation, Laureano Ortega Murillo as well as The Minister of Health, Martha Reyes.
Ortega announced that by working with Russia, they will complete the delivery of vaccines that have been contracted with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF).
The 120,000 doses of Sputnik V from Russia will allow 60,000 people to be immunized against Covid-19. The long term goal of the voluntary vaccine program in Nicaragua is to vaccinate 70% of the population, a number recommend by the World Health Organization who says that the pandemic will be over once we reach 70 percent minimum coverage in vaccination.
