The Los Almendros health center is part of the network of facilities to immunize the Bolivian population in the border area with Brazil. | Photo: Página Siete

La Paz, April 2 (RHC)-- The Bolivian Minister of Government, Carlos Eduardo del Castillo del Carpio, reported Friday on his Twitter account that 500 doses of vaccines against COVID-19 have been recovered.  The vaccines had been stolen in the city of Guayaramerín, in the northern Department of Beni.

In a message posted on this social network, the official said that the people responsible for the theft of the immunizer from the Los Almendros health center, located in Guayuaramerín on the border with Brazil, have been captured.  He added that "the respective measures are being taken."

As a result of the incident, a complaint was filed with the Special Force Against Crime (Felcc) and this led to an investigation into what happened.

The coordinator of Guayaramerín's Health Network 08, Maicol Borches, told local media that, according to witnesses, on Thursday night two hooded men approached Los Almendros and shouted: "Here are your vaccines."  They left a black bag with the immunizers inside and fled.  The vaccines remained sealed.

During an interview with a local TV station, the Minister of Health and Sports, Jeyson Auza, regretted that the doses can no longer be used, as it is not known if they were kept in a cold chain, as established by security protocols.

Auza added that it is incomprehensible "the irresponsibility" of those who stole them, "because they only harmed the people."

The doses were intended to immunize people over 60 years of age and with basic diseases on the border with Brazil.  The area is experiencing a spike in infections and is under threat from the Brazilian strain of the Sars-Cov-2 virus.   They had been delivered on Wednesday to the health center, whose staff noticed they'd been stolen on Thursday morning.