Venezuela begins COVID-19 vaccination campaign

Venezuela began its virus vaccination campaign Thursday, five days after the arrival of a first batch of 100,000 doses of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V.

The first to receive the jab will be health personnel and those in intensive care units, hospitals and emergency areas, laboratory workers and personnel transporting patients with respiratory conditions.

"The strategic cooperation between Russia and Venezuela has allowed us to have access to one of the best vaccines in the world," said Vice President Delcy Rodriguez during an official meeting broadcast by state television.

The doses of Sputnik V that arrived in the country on February 13 represent 1% of the 10 million total initially agreed between the governments of Caracas and Moscow.

Venezuela has been part of the Sputnik V vaccine trials since October and signed a contract with Russia in December.

The country is expected to start a mass vaccination campaign in April.

Venezuela has reported more than 134,000 COVID-19 cases and 1,297 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

(image credit: AP)