PAHO welcomes endorsement of first COVID vaccine produced in Latin America

WASHINGTON, CMC – The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has welcomed the World Health Organization (WHO) emergency use listing of an AstraZeneca vaccine produced in Latin America.

“This is an important milestone for Latin America and highlights the importance of technology transfer to increase the availability of quality COVID-19 vaccines in the region,” said PAHO Director, Dr Carissa Etienne.

PAHO said that the AstraZeneca vaccine, produced jointly by Argentina and Mexico, is already in use in some Latin American and Caribbean countries, and its inclusion in the emergency use listing will facilitate its procurement and distribution through PAHO's Revolving Fund as well as COVAX, the international mechanism to increase global COVID-19 vaccines access.

The approval comes as the pandemic enters another year and the region sees a steady climb in COVID-19 cases.

In the past week, the Americas reported over 1.1 million new COVID-19 infections, a six per cent increase in cases from the previous week.

PAHO said that vaccine inequity, however, continues to divide the region, with a handful of countries unlikely to reach the 40 per cent vaccination target by the end of the year and many just above the 50 per cent threshold of full COVID-19 immunisation.

Etienne said boosting regional capacity to produce vaccines is key to bridging this gap, citing the international endorsement as an example of how the region is primed to develop its pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity.

“If given the opportunity and tools, our region can deliver.”

PAHO recommends countries opt for WHO Emergency Use Listing vaccines, which are evaluated based on international standards for quality, safety and efficacy.

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