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Coronavirus pandemic

Chilean authorities to buy Russian Sputnik V vaccine against coronavirus, says president

Pinera did not provide any details on the talks with the Gamaleya Research Institute

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera AP Photo/Markus Schreiber

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera

© AP Photo/Markus Schreiber

BUENOS AIRES, July 9. /TASS/. Chile’s government plans to buy the Russian vaccine Sputnik V to ensure the possibility of immunization of the population with the third dose of the coronavirus vaccine, President Sebastian Pinera said on Thursday.

"We want to tell citizens that thanks to the talks and agreements reached with Pfizer, Sinovac, Moderna and Sputnik we ensure the required number of vaccines for possible vaccination with the third dose," he said in an address broadcast via Twitter. Earlier, the country’s health ministry reported that it was exploring the possibility of vaccinating the population with an additional dose of the coronavirus vaccine after completion of the patterns offered by producers.

Pinera did not provide any details on the talks with the Gamaleya Research Institute. The Chilean authorities said earlier that they were considering the possibility of using Sputnik V in the country.

Chile uses the vaccines of the US’ Pfizer, China’s Sinovac Biotech and the British-Swedish AstraZeneca to immunize the population. Up to date over 1.5 mln coronavirus cases have been registered, with the fatality rate at 33,500 people.

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