The COVID-19 vaccination program in Argentina is an ongoing effort of mass immunization. Vaccination against COVID-19 began in Argentina on 29 December 2020 aiming at health professionals. Argentina struck a deal with the United Kingdom in November 2020 for a British made vaccine produced by the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford. The vaccines are part of a deal where Argentina received 22.4 million doses.[1] During the first week, 39,599 doses were applied to health professionals.[2]
On 18 February 2021, vaccination on citizens aged over 70 began in the Province of Buenos Aires. Schools, among other sites, were used as temporary vaccination centres.[3]
During the first days of November, the government announced that will acquire during December 2020 and January 2021, 25 million of doses from the Russian vaccine Sputnik V after it would enter phase III.[4][5][6] Other vaccines such as the developed by University of Oxford and AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and China were also announced to be acquired eventually.[7]
On 22 December the flight that would bring the first doses of the Sputnik V vaccine to the country left for Moscow,[8] after negotiations began in early December.[9] 300,000 doses arrived on 24 December,[10] with the vaccination campaign beginning on 29 December.[11] The governor of the province of Buenos Aires, Axel Kicillof, was among the first to receive the vaccine.[12] One day later, the AZD1222 vaccine developed by University of Oxford and AstraZeneca was also approved in the country.[13]
On July 17, 2021, 3.5 million doses of Moderna vaccines arrived at Argentina as part of donation from the United States.[16] Before that, on July 9, 2021, Argentina announced that it had procured 20 million doses from Moderna on its supply deal.[17]
The European Investment Bank is collaborating with the Argentinian government to provide the country with $100 million to assist in the acquisition of COVID-19 vaccinations and to deploy vaccination campaigns.[18]
