The first shipment of COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Mexico Wednesday, December 23, prompting Mexico's foreign minister to declare "the beginning of the end of this pandemic."
The shipment, carrying doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, was flown into the Mexican capital from Belgium.
"It's true that we still face a tremendous pandemic, but today is the beginning of the end," Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard told a news conference at Mexico City airport.
He did not specify how many doses arrived in the first batch amid Mexican media reports that it only contained 3,000. His ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Mexico said it will begin inoculating health workers against COVID-19 on Thursday, December 24, as the government battles a sharp surge in infections that has put hospitals under immense strain.
Senior citizens and people with chronic illnesses are due to be next in line to receive coronavirus vaccinations.
(Reuters)