South America

The state of Venezuela's already overloaded and crumbling public health system, in which hospitals often lack access to even water, has pushed many to use costly private centers.

Experts say Latin America is fast becoming the new epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. More than one million people there have died.

Alpha, beta, gamma, delta ... and now lambda.

Struggling to acquire doses, the Maduro regime goes for shots from its Cuban ally even as health experts warn about the ‘Abdala’ vaccine.

The shipment - part of Washington's pledge to donate 80 million vaccines - will depart Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on an Azul Airlines flight Thursday evening, bound for Campinas, a city in southeastern Brazil about 100 km (62 miles) from Sao Paulo.

16 million COVID cases, nearly half a million deaths and no end in sight. Brazil is still struggeling with the coronavirus pandemic.

The United States is considering prioritizing countries within its own hemisphere for the 80 million domestically-made vaccine doses it has pledged to send abroad.

Developed by Moscow's Gamaleya Institute, the slimmed-down vaccine, which the RDIF says is 79.4% effective against COVID-19 and costs under $10 a dose.

Brazil's Senate approves a bill that would forbid drug makers from raising prices in 2021. The bill will next pass to the lower house of Congress for consideration.

Brazil's government will direct an extra 5.5 billion reais ($1.05 billion) of federal spending towards the production, supply and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.

With 11.67 million habitants, thus far Bolivia has only been able to vaccinate roughly 5% of their population.

That adds to an agreement earlier in the year for an initial 100 million doses, of which Brazil has only received 1.6 million to date.

União Quimica's facility in São Paulo has been certified by Anvisa for good production practices and the vaccine will be made for export to countries that have approved it.

Chile is in the final stages of negotiating a deal to buy 4 million doses of Sputnik V as it races to vaccinate 80% of its target population - 15 million people - by July.

Brazilian pharmaceutical associations on Friday called for lawmakers to reject a bill that seeks to suspend COVID-19 vaccine patents, saying it could spark international retaliation and reduce medical supplies in Latin America's biggest country.