Chile receives more Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines

SANTIAGO, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chile received Friday a new shipment of COVID-19 vaccine doses from the Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac.

The shipment, which was delivered at the Santiago international airport, will allow more people to receive vaccination, said Deputy Health Minister Paula Daza.

The Chinese vaccine was approved for emergency use in Chile earlier this year by the Public Health Institute, based on the recommendations of the committee of experts convened for the evaluation of vaccines against the virus, which indicated its use for people over 18 years of age.

Chile has received more than 31.4 million doses from various laboratories, with 6.2 million doses having arrived since July 22.

Some 84 percent of Chile's target population has been fully vaccinated, while nearly 90 percent of the target population has received at least a first dose, according to the government.