Venezuelan Health Minister Carlos Alvarado thanked the Russian government for its gesture of solidarity. | Photo: @jaarreaza

Caracas, April 16 (RHC)-- The Venezuelan Minister of People's Power for Health, Carlos Alvarado, reported on his official Twitter account that 50,000 doses of the vaccine against COVID-19 -- Sputnik V and the antiviral drug Favipiravir, both from Russia -- have arrived in Caracas at the Simon Bolivar International Airport.

"Today we received 50,000 Sputnik V vaccines (2nd dose) to continue the immunization of our health personnel and senior citizens, as well as Favipiravir, a powerful Russian antiviral drug that is part of the treatment protocol for the protection of our people against COVID-19," said the Bolivarian official.

Carlos Alvarado also thanked the Russian Government, President Vladimir Putin and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro for "all the efforts they are making to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in Venezuela."

The official added that "we have already administered more than 200,000 doses of this vaccine in Venezuela with a very good acceptance by the community.  In addition to completing the vaccination of health personnel, we will also vaccinate the elderly."

Likewise, the Venezuelan minister said that the Russian antiviral Favipiravir has shown good effectiveness in preventing the virus replication in the organism.  At the same time, Alvarado specified that this drug will be distributed at once throughout the national territory in order to attend 25,000 patients.