Argentina to start roll-out of Russian-produced Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine Tuesday

Argentina will start inoculating its citizens against Covid-19 on Tuesday using the Russian-produced vaccine Sputnik V, the country’s President Alberto Fernández said Saturday.

The country received a shipment of 300,000 doses of Sputnik V on December 24, and will become the fourth nation in Latin America — behind Mexico, Chile and Costa Rica — to begin vaccinating citizens against the virus.

Argentina’s Minister of Health, Gines González García, said on Twitter that the vaccination campaign will be carried out in an “equitable manner throughout the country.”

According to the government’s vaccine plan, health care workers and teachers will be among the first people to be inoculated, along with individuals at risk of developing a serious illness, such as people over the age 70. Elderly residents in long-term nursing homes are also to be prioritized under Argentina’s first phase of vaccinations.

Argentine authorities announced on Wednesday new requirements for entry into the country for nationals, residents and foreigners who have authorization to enter the country.

Passengers are required to present a negative PCR test result at the Ezeiza or San Fernando airports, which will be the only air terminals through which travelers can enter the nation, as well as a seven-day quarantine.

The restrictions will be in effect until January 8, according to the Interior Ministry.

To date, Argentina has reported a total of 1,578,267 cases of Covid-19 and 42,501 deaths since the start of the pandemic, according to the country’s ministry of health.