Mexico’s Vaccine Stockpile Surpasses 50 Million Doses

(Bloomberg) -- Mexico’s stockpile of unused vaccine surpassed 50 million doses Thursday, according to Health Ministry data, as the country’s vaccination campaign lags regional peers.

Mexico was the first Latin American nation to deliver a jab of vaccine against the coronavirus last December and the daily rate of doses administered peaked at more than 1.5 million in late July. The number of doses delivered daily has plunged since then and hasn’t hit 500,000 in the last seven days, according to the Health Ministry.

Mexico will begin giving booster shots of AstraZeneca to people age 60 and older, Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell said Tuesday. While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control has expanded Covid-19 booster recommendations to include adolescents aged 16 and 17, Lopez-Gatell has downplayed the need for such shots for the general population, saying they’re not needed for those who are otherwise healthy without a compromised immune system.

Mexico has also lagged other countries in administering vaccine doses to children. The country started giving jabs to those aged 15 to 17 in mid-November and has challenged court orders to vaccinate children older than 12.

The country has fully vaccinated 51% of its population and about 62% have received at least one dose, according to Bloomberg’s vaccine tracker.

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