Venezuela does not approve use of COVID-19 vaccine produced by AstraZeneca

Caracas, March 16 (RHC)-- Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez affirmed that health authorities will not grant permission for the AstraZeneca vaccine to be used in the country to immunize the population due to the effects that the drug has reported in several European countries. 

"We talked with their representatives about the Covax fund to be able to acquire vaccines.  Venezuela will not give permission to the Astrazeneca vaccine to be used in our country because of the effects it has on patients," said Rodriguez.  She also explained that conversations have been held with several vaccine suppliers to guarantee the immunization of the entire population in the coming months.  

"We have been in a negotiation process with international suppliers, with Russia to obtain Sputnik V, whose results have been very good; with China and we are also using Chinese vaccines.  In addition, we were recently in Cuba to hold talks that will allow us to obtain the vaccines against Covid-19," she said.

The vice president also warned about the risks of the epidemiological situation in Brazil, where the P1 variant of the coronavirus causing the pandemic has increased the number of cases and deaths, while it has already been detected in Venezuela.

"We wanted Venezuela to be fully informed about the situation in Brazil regarding COVID-19.  In January, Brazil informed the world about the appearance of the first variant, and in March it became known in our country," said the vice president.