MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th October, 2020) The Ecuadorian government will need almost $150 million to purchase vaccines against COVID-19, Health Vice Minister of Ecuador Xavier Solorzano said.
"The initial amount is nearly 150 million [dollars] that we need to start [buying the vaccine], but that will guarantee that around 8 million people can be vaccinated, that is about 60 percent of the population," Solorzano told a� local radio station on Tuesday.
Ealier, Health Minister Juan Carlos Zevallos said that Ecuador was negotiating with nine COVID-19 vaccine producers to import required doses.
Ecuador has reached an agreement with American Pfizer and German BioNTech for the supply of nearly two million doses in 2021.
The Ecuadorian government also signed a letter of intent with American Covaxx to receive at least two million doses of the vaccine that is currently on the second phase of development.
Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, Ecuador has registered over 163,000 positive cases, including almost 142,000 patients who have recovered and 12,588 people who died from the disease.
