Mexico Secures COVID-19 Vaccine Access

Despite economic uncertainty, educational limitations and a rough start to the new normality, Mexico has great news regarding its participation in many vaccine developments! As these projects are reaching the final stage, the country confirms its active collaboration to secure vaccine access.

Here is the week in health!

NATIONAL

-Mexico agreed to participate in clinical trials of three possible vaccines against COVID-19. Minister of Foreign Affairs Marcelo Ebrard informed that these developments come from Janssen Pharmaceuticals (US), Cansino Biologics (China) and Walvax Biotechnology (China). Phase 3 of these vaccines will take place between September and January.

- Ebrard also announced that Mexico and Argentina will produce the vaccine COVID-19 developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca. The vaccine will be produced with the support of Fundación Carlos Slim. This grants free and universal vaccine access, assured Deputy Minister of Health Hugo López-Gatell. Mexico’s 150-million-dose production will be destined for Latin America with the possibility of increasing this to a 250 million production capacity. Liomont is the Mexican laboratory selected for this task as its infrastructure has been praised for its international-level standards and measures.

-Tabasco will seek to present the same law initiative implemented in Oaxaca to prohibit sales of junk food and sugary beverages to children.

-As the new normality advances, movie theaters and museums at Mexico City are expected to reopen at their 30 percent capacity next week.

-SEP announces a setback on education coverage by facing a 10 percent drop on elementary school attendance and an 8 percent drop on higher education studies as a result of COVID-19 limitations for presential education.

INTERNATIONAL

-Russia announced its approval of a COVID-19 vaccine, making it the first vaccine against the virus. The vaccine called “Sputnik” has raised many international concerns related to the uncommon speed of its clinical trials.

- Cuba also announced four COVID-19 vaccine development projects. Alongside this announcement, Director of the Epidemiology Department of Cuba Francisco Duran expressed the country’s desire to collaborate with Russia on their development to start production on the island.

- WHO shared figures about the challenges faced by some groups of the population with regards to COVID-19. The organization declared that around the world, services are so limited that 800 million children do not have the access to a sink for handwashing at school. This evidences the lack of water services but also the still strong limitations to preventive measures to stop COVID-19 from spreading in the most vulnerable countries in the world.