10,000 armed forces members trained to vaccinate against Covid-19 in Peru

LIMA, Nov 26, 2020, ANDINA. Peruvian Defense Minister Nuria Esparch has reported that 10,000 members of the Armed Forces are being trained, so that they can immunize citizens against COVID-19, as soon as the vaccines become available, ANDINA reported.

“The Armed Forces are going to add an operational capacity of 10,000 vaccinators; we are going to strengthen the health system, that is our contribution,” Esparch told Andina news agency.

The first female Defense minister in the country indicated that the Health Ministry relies on 25,000 vaccinators, and its objective is to deploy a large team nationwide as soon as the immunization against the new coronavirus is available.

On the other hand, the Cabinet member mentioned the huge challenge that the Armed Forces will have to face during the general elections (April 11, 2021) with the safekeeping of 16,000 voting places throughout the country.

It must be noted that this number is higher if compared with the 6,000 stations that they had to protect in previous electoral processes.

“That, as you will understand, is a logistical challenge which is not the usual one, and we are actively preparing to contribute, so that these elections are safe for all Peruvians,” she concluded.

Last Monday, Health Minister Pilar Mazzetti reported that Peru’s Government has been negotiating with various laboratories to obtain 24.5 million vaccines against COVID-19 during the first quarter of 2021, with the aim of immunizing the country’s entire adult population prior to the general elections scheduled for April 11.

As is known, Nuria Esparch was sworn in as Defense minister on November 18.