Chile begins vaccinations against COVID-19

Chile began its vaccination campaign against the coronavirus on Thursday, putting to use its first shipment of 10,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine. Health workers were the first ones to get the shots at the Metropolitan Hospital in Santiago. Chile is the first South American country in starting the immunization campaign against the disease and the second in Latin America, after Mexico.

On Friday, officials from the southern hardest-hit regions of La Araucanía, Biobío and Magallanes will be inoculated, according to Health Minister. Another 10,000 doses are expected to arrive next week to be given to the same recipients, separated by about three weeks, as the second shot is essential for the treatment to be effective.

Chile bought 10 million vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech, which will continue to arrive during 2021 and has the approval of the US regulator and its local counterpart.