Guatemala renegotiates Sputnik V contract to receive 8 mln doses, says president

Guatemala's President Alejandro Giammattei said on Tuesday the Central American nation has renegotiated its contract for the delivery of Russia's Sputnik V vaccines and is also in talks with Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson for their coronavirus shots. Guatemala, with 18 million inhabitants, has only inoculated 309,339 people so far, according to the health ministry.

Guatemala's President Alejandro Giammattei said on Tuesday the Central American nation has renegotiated its contract for the delivery of Russia's Sputnik V vaccines and is also in talks with Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson for their coronavirus shots.

Guatemala, with 18 million inhabitants, has only inoculated 309,339 people so far, according to the health ministry. Guatemala had a contract for the delivery of 16 million doses of Sputnik V vaccines but the vaccines have been badly delayed, prompting some officials last month to talk about asking for a refund from Russia.

Giammattei told a news conference that the original contract for the Russian vaccine has been renegotiated and now Guatemala would receive 8 million doses. The money that was due to go towards Sputnik vaccines will now be reinvested to get a further 8 million doses from Pfizer , Moderna or Johnson & Johnson, Giammattei said.

"We are going to get them through the other pharmaceutical houses," Giammattei said.