TEGUCIGALPA. A nurse, who contracted covid-19 in 2020, and an internist, the first two Hondurans to be vaccinated against the disease this past Thursday. The vaccinations took place a few hours after 5,000 doses sent by Israel arrived in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
Vaccinated nurse suffers from Diabetes and Hypertension
The first vaccinated nurse said that in addition to having contracted covid-19 in May 2020, she suffers from diabetes and hypertension, basic illnesses that represent a greater risk for people who contract the disease.
Un total de 40 personas fueron vacunadas esta tarde en el Hospital María, y Yelena Zelaya Ortega, del departamento de Enfermería y el doctor internista, Nolvin Guifarro fueron los primeros hondureños en recibir la primera dosis anticovid donada por Israel. #LlegoLaVacuna pic.twitter.com/VIs3ZXSiGv
— Casa Presidencial (@Presidencia_HN) February 25, 2021
Excited, Soraya Ortega indicated that “with my heart in hand, I tell you that I was waiting for this vaccine,” because I “needed it.”
Moreover, Ortega thanked President Hernández for arranging the vaccines with Israel, a country that also sent another 5,000 doses to the neighboring country, Guatemala.
Honduras president announces the arrival of 4 million doses of vaccines
The Honduran leader, Juan Orlando Hernandez, reiterated his gratitude to the people and Government of Israel for the donation. Around 2,500 people from the health system who are fighting Covid-19 will be immunized.
¡Primeros vacunados!
Hoy es un día histórico y de esperanza para la salud del pueblo hondureño. Es un momento largamente esperado por todos. Gracias al pueblo de Israel 🇮🇱 y a nuestro amigo el Primer Ministro Benjamin Netanyahu @netanyahu por la donación de 5 mil vacunas. pic.twitter.com/JS6eWFyey3
— Juan Orlando H. (@JuanOrlandoH) February 25, 2021
In the same way, Hernández indicated that obtaining the first vaccines “has not been easy” because “it is a race between countries that have money and those of us who are fighters.”
He added that an agreement is about to be closed for the purchase of four million vaccines. Others are expected to arrive between March and June to protect all Hondurans.
That is to say, to immunize 20 percent of the population of Honduras, a country that has 9.5 million inhabitants, it is expected that by the end of March, free vaccines will arrive under the Covax mechanism, promoted by the World and Pan American Health Organizations (WHO / PAHO).
Finally, Honduras so far registers more than 160 thousand cases and 4 thousand deaths from Covid-19.