The Argentines are angry with the new blockade after the vaccine was tilted

Shortly after the release of one of the world’s longest and sharpest blockades, the President Alberto Fernandez He promised in December that 10 million Argentines would be vaccinated against Covid-19 by the end of February.

A few months later, that promise has yet to be fulfilled. Only 9m of Argentina’s 45 million inhabitants have received a dose, of which about 2.5m is a second. Critics say the faster spread of vaccines could help prevent one of the highest daily mortality rates in the world as a second wave begins.

Now, Argentina is once again blocked to deal with a sharp rise in cases as winter reaches its peak and more contagious variants spread to Brazil and the United Kingdom.

The new blockade has put pressure on public finances that stretch to the limit, under threat prolong the recession that has been dragging on for three years.

It has exacerbated the already poisonous political environment, as allegations go beyond the missed vaccination period.

On Monday, Fernandez denounced opposition politician Patricia Bullrich for defamation that the government had asked the U.S. vaccine manufacturer Pfizer in exchange for its entry into the Argentine market.

“President, you can report me as many times as you want, but the vaccines have not yet arrived and you have not yet clarified what happened to Pfizer,” Bullrich said.

Bullrich has demanded that Fernandez explain why he never signed the contract he was discussing with Pfizer last year when it began arriving in December and “saved thousands of lives” for more than 13 million vaccines. Argentina was given priority status after major clinical trials for Pfizer last year.

The company said in a statement this week: “Pfizer has not received any requests for unfair payments… In addition, the company does not use intermediaries, private distributors or representatives to supply the Covid-19 vaccine.”

In addition to implementing an agreement with Pfizer, a joint venture with Mexico to produce the AstraZeneca vaccine was delayed due to a shortage of flasks and the first part only arrived this week. Russia has also not vaccinated Sputnik in time.

Still, the Russian vaccine takes up half of the 15m shots delivered to Argentina, and the rest most, about 4m, from China’s Sinopharm. This has led to accusations from the opposition that Fernandez’s vaccination of the left-wing government has been driven by ideological and geopolitical concerns, as Argentina is prosecuting Moscow and Beijing.

Although Argentina is doing better than many neighbors in the vaccination region, the problem is the government’s “triumphalism,” which has raised high hopes, according to epidemiologist Adolfo Rubinstein, who was now the opposition opposition health minister.

“The vaccine program was raised to epic proportions. In addition to doing so, corruption scandals have eroded trust in society and angered many people, ”he said. Argentine Minister of Health He was removed from office in February after it was revealed that he had helped organize Covid-19 vaccines for VIPs with government connections.

“Unfortunately the treatment of the pandemic has been a victim of political success… Creating a sterile confrontation that needs to be scaled up,” Rubinstein said. “But the government has to move first.”

This toxic atmosphere has hampered the government’s effort to convince citizens to stay home during the current shutdown. Especially among critics of unbalanced treatment; the government’s decision to host Argentina’s Copa America regional football tournament from next month sparked outrage.

Hugo Pizzi, a specialist in infectious diseases at the University of Córdoba, says that there are only two ways to control the pandemic: “Only with this discipline can you get out of such a dire situation. [in obeying rules aimed at preventing the spread of the virus] and vaccines. ”For now, the rapid arrival of vaccines in Argentina may be the most promising, given its lax adherence to blockade rules.

“This [southern hemisphere] the winter will be hard. I hope [lockdown] the measures are supported by society, and vaccines continue to arrive, ”said Javier Farina, an infectious disease specialist who advises the government, and hopes that half of Argentines will receive their first owner in August, now more than a fifth.

The blockade measures currently in place “should last longer if you only look at health issues, taking into account everything else, economy it weighs a lot. The final decision of the authorities will take this into account, ”he said.

Rubinstein has argued that one of the biggest obstacles to Argentina’s success in controlling the pandemic is that “Argentines are different, the rules are less so respected”.

Although it initially coincided with the cuts and Fernandez’s popularity rose, after the first two months of last year’s eight months, Fernandez’s enthusiasm – and following the rules – quickly waned.

The fatigue of incarceration was compounded by the mixed signs of the government and Argentina’s large informal economy, which meant many were forced to look for work abroad to pay their bills.

Argentina’s demographics have exacerbated the situation, with populations older than northern Latin American countries and populations more vulnerable to disease. More contagious variants, especially those from Brazil and the United Kingdom, have been fed in the case of coronaviruses.

Despite the worrying situation, Pizzi argues that Argentina is no worse than many of its neighbors in a region that is one of the most affected in the world. In Paraguay, people were given chairs to sit comfortably in hospital courtyards, he said, while in countries like Ecuador and Peru last year “corpses were piled on the streets.” “It’s never been that bad here.”