Mexico, Argentina Joint Efforts for Latin America

Mexico and Argentina are reviewing the development of a joint platform to respond to health emergencies with a Latin American perspective, announced Mexico’s Ministry of Health during the Mexico-Argentina meeting Towards a Latin American Preparation and Response Platform for Public Health.

At the meeting, Minister of Health Jorge Alcocer Varela and his Argentinian counterpart Carla Vizzoti explained the different joint efforts the two Latin American countries have implemented to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Alcocer Varela highlighted the importance of regional cooperation as Mexico is planning to send COVID-19 vaccines to other countries. 

“The goal is that both countries, which share the same perspective on the importance of social justice and the relevance of promoting, protecting and defending public interests, can build a bridge from the north to the south of Latin America, to involve all the countries of the region that share this perspective and that are willing to build a global pillar of development and well-being,” said Hugo Lopez-Gatell, Deputy Minister of Health in Mexico. Vizzoti assured that the collaboration has made access to vaccines in the region much easier, which would have been impossible without the efforts of the private sector.

Mexico will receive the active ingredient for the packaging of 4 million AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines next week, according to El Economista. The country will provide about 150 million doses for the region this year, which are expected to help alleviate the impact of the pandemic in Latin America.

How is Mexico Doing in Terms of Vaccination?

The country began vaccinating teachers and pregnant women in the country, which allowed it to considerably increase its vaccination rates. Mexico has now vaccinated over 26.47 million people, a sharp contrast to the beginning of May when the country had vaccinated barely over 12 million people, according to Our World in Data. In 24 days, total vaccinations more than doubled in Mexico, allowing the country to vaccinate 20 percent of its population. However, some argue that the push in vaccinations was caused by Mexico’s  June 1 elections, which could shift the power balance of the current administration.