Mexico starts giving first shots of virus vaccine

An intensive care nurse in Mexico City became the first person on Thursday in Latin America to receive an approved coronavirus vaccine. Mexico began administering its first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in a ceremony in which Maria Irene Ramirez, aged 59, got the first shot, under the watchful eyes of military personnel who escorted the vaccine shipment. Other doctors and nurses rolled up their sleeves in the chill morning air outside vaccination stations in the cities of Toluca and Queretaro.

The government has said that health workers will be the first to get the shots, followed by the elderly, teachers and those with underlying health conditions.

Foreign Relations Secretary Ebrard said Mexico was the first country in Latin America to get the vaccine, although others were close behind. While only 3,000 doses arrived in the first shipment on Wednesday, Ebrard said about 53,000 more doses would arrive by Tuesday, about 1.4 million doses in January and a total of about 11.75 million by mid-2021. Ebrard said two vaccines were currently undergoing Phase 3 studies in Mexico and another three were awaiting approval to start.