South American soccer begins immunization against Covid-19 in Paraguay

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Paraguayan Football Association (APF) began this Thursday the immunization against the coronavirus of its first division teams with part of the 50,000 doses of Sinovac vaccines managed through Conmebol to vaccinate the entire environment of its member associations.

The vaccines arrived in Paraguay during the early hours of the morning, and early this morning, the members of Club Sportivo Luqueño, as well as their technical, medical, and logistics staff were vaccinated at the Mundialista Beach Soccer Stadium “Los Pynandi”, according to the APF in a press release.

This Thursday, the Cerro Porteño and Guaraní teams will also be vaccinated.

The president of the APF, Robert Harrison, thanked on social networks the management of Alejandro Domínguez, at the head of Conmebol, for allowing Paraguay to be the “first country to vaccinate its professional soccer environment”.

Harrison also recognized the work of Paraguay’s Minister of Health, Julio Borba, “for having expedited the process of releasing the doses”.

The 50,000 doses of the Sinovac vaccine will be distributed to the rest of the associations to immunize South American soccer before the Copa America Argentina-Colombia, which will kick off on June 13.

However, the president of Conmebol reminded on social networks that, despite the vaccines, the sanitary measures will be maintained.

“This is one more barrier that we put to covid-19, but let’s not forget that it does not replace the sanitary protocols. If we stay united, we will defeat the pandemic!”, expressed Domínguez on Twitter.

The vaccines arrived on the South American continent at the end of April, when they landed in Montevideo, Uruguay, after mediation by the government of Luis Lacalle Pou.

The Ministry of Health of each Conmebol member country will be in charge of keeping a detailed record of those vaccinated. At the same time, the soccer body will monitor the process and its subsequent accountability.

According to Conmebol, the limited number of vaccines means that the recipients are practically guaranteed and difficult to apply to people who are not involved in the campaign.