{"id":106864,"date":"2021-02-11T21:49:15","date_gmt":"2021-02-11T21:49:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/?p=106864"},"modified":"2021-02-11T21:49:15","modified_gmt":"2021-02-11T21:49:15","slug":"our-gratitude-always-from-chinas-cansino-mexico-welcomes-biggest-vaccine-shipment-yet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/markets\/our-gratitude-always-from-chinas-cansino-mexico-welcomes-biggest-vaccine-shipment-yet\/","title":{"rendered":"'Our gratitude always': From China's CanSino, Mexico welcomes biggest vaccine shipment yet"},"content":{"rendered":"
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico received its biggest COVID-19 vaccine shipment yet on Thursday, in the form of the active ingredient for 2 million doses of China\u2019s CanSino shot, a relief for the Latin American country after slow delivery on orders from Western companies.<\/p> Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard recognized China\u2019s support and thanked CanSino Biologics Inc for the \u201ctimely shipment\u201d in a tweet.<\/p>\n \u201cOur gratitude always,\u201d Ebrard said.<\/p>\n Mexico has inked a deal with CanSino for at least 8 million doses to be delivered between February and March. Its health regulator granted authorization for the vaccine\u2019s emergency use on Wednesday, helping drive CanSino shares to record highs.<\/p>\n Mexico also approved China\u2019s Sinovac Biotech Ltd vaccine the same day.<\/p>\n The CanSino shipment is the latest example of Mexico seeking alternatives to supplement its flailing vaccine campaign as mainstream Western companies like Pfizer announce global shipment slow downs.<\/p>\n The situation is urgent in Latin America\u2019s No. 2 economy, with the world\u2019s third highest coronavirus death toll at 169,760, according to government data. The real tally is believed to be much higher.<\/p>\n Mexico also has a deal for 24 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, in one of its larger agreements.<\/p>\n It was unclear whether Mexico would begin to distribute CanSino\u2019s vaccine, which will be packaged in the central state of Queretero, before it begins administering doses of AstraZeneca, which it is also packaging locally, in addition to importing 2 million doses from India.<\/p>\n The CanSino shipment far outweighs Mexico\u2019s other expected deliveries, including the 870,000 doses of AstraZeneca expected from India this month, according to data from the foreign ministry.<\/p>\n CanSino conducted phase III trials in Mexico with 14,425 participants. Mexico had said it was one of the world\u2019s largest COVID-19 clinical trials.<\/p>\n The company also ran trials in Pakistan, Argentina, Chile and Russia.<\/p>\n Pakistan said earlier this week that CanSino\u2019s vaccine showed 65.7% efficacy in preventing symptomatic cases and a 90.98% success rate in stopping severe disease, according to an interim analysis of global trials.<\/p>\n Mexico had been relying on the Pfizer vaccine for weekly deliveries of some 400,000 doses before shipments were delayed due to demand by the World Health Organization (WHO) for inclusion in the COVAX program.<\/p>\n Mexico pre-purchased 51.5 million vaccine doses through COVAX, though shipments have yet to begin.<\/p>\n