CARACAS, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- The economic blockade imposed by Washington is preventing Venezuela from funding the COVAX initiative led by the World Health Organization, Venezuelan Minister of Health Carlos Alvarado said on Sunday.

The official said Venezuela offered "to place 18 million U.S. dollars into the COVAX fund," but as a result of the blockade, the country has not "been able to free those resources to pay the fund."

He added that the U.S. sanctions have affected other vaccination programs previously conducted through the Pan American Health Organization revolving fund.

"We have not been able to pay the revolving fund, therefore, we have not been able to buy vaccines through that fund," said Alvarado.

"The vaccines we are giving our boys and girls today ... come through humanitarian aids," said the minister.

As a result of the U.S. sanctions, the country has had vaccination failures for at least two and a half years, the minister said.