The Government announced the acquisition of 200,000 doses from the Pfizer laboratory against the coronavirus, which will be available to non-resident foreign citizens.
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From December 1, they will be able to schedule the date, time and place on the website of the Ministry of Public Health. In addition, the authorities reported details about the vaccination of Uruguayan minors between 5 and 11 years old.
The announcements were made in Executive Tower by the Secretary of the Presidency, Álvaro Delgado, and the Minister of Tourism, Tabaré Viera.
Delgado explained that the availability of vaccines for non-residents is applied after the Government guarantees the necessary stock for Uruguayan citizens. To do this, the Executive negotiated with Pfizer a contract that will enable in 2022 the annual reinforcement of doses against COVID-19 for Uruguayans
The availability of 200,000 vaccines for foreign tourists will be in force as of December 1 of this year, after a coordinated effort with the Ministry of Public Health and the Electronic Government Agency (Agesic), Delgado explained.
The secretary of the Presidency added that to access the doses the same mechanism will be applied as for Uruguayans.
Thus, tourists should schedule the date, time and place in the Uruguay Vaccine section available on the website of the Ministry of Public Health. Adults who seek a third dose or those under 18 years of age who come from countries where this possibility is not possible will be able to access.
Also as of December 1, Uruguay will have special vaccinations for tourists at the main border entry points with Brazil and Argentina: Rocha, Cerro Largo, Rivera and, on the coast, the international bridges and the ports of Colonia and Montevideo.
In addition, the greatest availability of doses will be in the main tourist centers of Canelones, Maldonado and Rocha.
“This strengthens the tourist offer, with its infrastructure, diversity of offers and health security. Beyond vaccine tourism, it is a service with vaccines for those who visit us, ”said the Minister of Tourism.
Viera indicated that this decision also increases the security of Uruguayans themselves, since the better immunized tourists are, the better protected the local population will be.
The Secretary of the Presidency also confirmed the beginning of the inoculation for minors, between 5 and 11 years old, after the validation of the messenger RNA doses by international agencies, such as the FDA, of the United States.
Delgado reported that vaccination for people of that age range will be available from the second half of January. The instance will not be mandatory, for the inoculation the consent of the parents will be necessary, and it will be carried out gradually, starting with the population at risk.
He recalled that Uruguay was the first country in Latin America to inoculate those under 18 years of age. 78% did so with the first dose, 75% with the second and 39% with the third dose, which raises the vaccination rate among the population over 12 years of age to 93%, he said. ■
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