COVID-19 Vaccine Begins To Rollout in Latin American Countries

Mexico's frontline workers were some of the first people in Latin America to get a COVID-19 vaccination.

The rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in Latin America started on Thursday when the first shot was delivered to a Mexican nurse. This also signaled the start of the vaccination program in her country.

A short time later, Chile and Costa Rica also started the vaccination for its frontline workers, BBC reported.

It serves as good news for many people living in the Latin American region as their hard-hit areas start to feel some sense of security after months of uncertainty. The vaccinations came from pharmaceutical company Pfizer.

Mexico had the highest death toll amid the pandemic, just lagging behind the U.S., Brazil, and India. Initial shipments for Mexico were 3,000 doses, and the first shots were administered in a televised event.

Vaccination The 'Best Gift' for 2020

"It's the best gift I could receive in 2020," 59-year-old Mexican nurse Maria Irene Ramirez said in a Medical Xpress report.

She noted that the vaccine made her feel safer and gave her more courage to continue working amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"We're afraid but we must continue," she said, adding that despite the hardships she faces in her work, she was still willing to work in the line of fire.

In Chile, 46-year-old nursing assistant Zulema Riquelme was the first recorded person to get the shot.

Chile was the first South American country to administer COVID-19 shots after the initial 10,000 doses were delivered.

"I'm very excited and nervous - many emotions," Riquelme said after getting her vaccine as President Sebastian Pinera looks on in the capital.

Pinera also told the nursing assistant that she has "everyone's hope" as more people may start seeing the safety and efficacy that came with the new vaccine.

Pinera assured Chileans that the country had secured 30 million coronavirus vaccines from three different suppliers.

These doses will be enough to vaccinate 15 million people in Chile or around two-thirds of the country's entire population.

Costa Rica will be following the vaccination efforts on Thursday.

Mexico City is Epicenter of Infections

According to Al Jazeera, Mexico City was a "capital and epicenter" for current COVID-19 infections. The country was witnessing more hospitalizations today than the first wave of the pandemic in July.

The Health Department said some 18,000 people were being treated for the disease in Mexican hospitals. It was a rate of 0.04 percent more than first seen in July.

Devastatingly, some 85 percent of hospitals in Mexico City were already in use, making less room for new infections. The same scenario can also be seen in other places in Latin America.

Argentina to Start Inoculations Soon

Argentina will also start its vaccination effort soon. In the next few days, the country is expected to get its initial delivery of 300,000 doses of Russian-produced Sputnik V.

These vaccines will be arriving in the nation's capital of Buenos Aires on Thursday morning.

Meanwhile, Brazil is not expected to start its vaccination efforts until next year, despite a recent surge of cases.

The country, which has recorded the highest number of deaths in the region at 190,000, is still negotiating its purchase of 350 million vaccine doses for 2021.

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro repeatedly said he has no plans to get vaccinated as he believes he has developed immunity from the disease. He has tested positive for the coronavirus last July.