On Wednesday, December 30th, 2020, the Salvadoran National Directorate of Medicines authorized the import, distribution, and use of the COVID-19 Vaccine from AstraZeneca.
The governmental entity’s approval is the first step for the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to enter the country.
The announcement came on the same day that the United Kingdom approved the vaccine and became the first country in the world to endorse the injection; the U.K. hopes that it will help contain the wave of infections caused by a new highly contagious variant of COVID-19.
The date to start vaccinating the general Salvadoran population will be announced by the health minister at some point in early 2021.
In a Twitter message, President Nayib Bukele stated that the Oxford vaccine would be the real game-changer in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
In November, President Bukele announced that El Salvador had reached an agreement with AstraZeneca to purchase two million vaccines.
In the same press conference, Bukele announced that the first people to get the vaccine would be those on the front line fighting the pandemic. Also, the first round of vaccines will include the elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions.
Health Minister Francisco Alabi will give details in the upcoming weeks regarding the process, dates, and locations to get the vaccine.
Preparations to vaccinate Salvadorans are already on the way. In a December 28th Twitter message, president Bukele announced that the government was building 156 small structures or modules throughout our country.
These modules will give accessibility and the necessary conditions to contain and administer vaccines. The COVID-19 vaccines are free and voluntary for the entire population.
