El Salvador receives 1st batch of Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccine

SAN SALVADOR, March 28 (Xinhua) -- El Salvador received on Sunday the first batch of the COVID-19 vaccines from Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac, which will help speed up the vaccination process in the country, local authorities reported.

At a ceremony for the reception of the vaccines at the San Salvador airport, Minister of Health Francisco Alabi said that the CoronaVac vaccine has been used in countries such as Chile, Brazil, and Turkey "with very favorable results."

China's Ambassador to El Salvador Ou Jianhong said at the ceremony that the delivery of the vaccine to El Salvador "reflects the deep friendship of the Chinese people towards the Salvadoran people, as well as the full support of the Chinese government for the Salvadoran government in its fight against the pandemic."

Ou also stressed the Chinese government's commitment to maintaining close cooperation with El Salvador to follow up the vaccination process in order to offer "more tangible benefits" to the Salvadoran people.

The Salvadoran government is looking to immunize 4.5 million people, except for those under 18 years of age and pregnant women, to achieve herd immunity over the course of one year.

El Salvador began its vaccination program on Feb. 17, and will begin inoculating adults and people with chronic diseases on April 15, with the CoronaVac vaccines.

El Salvador has reported 63,766 cases and 2,000 deaths from COVID-19, according to authorities.