Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard led a visit to Liomont Pharmaceutical Plant in Ocoyoacac, Mexico, to witness the vaccines´ packaging process.

Ebrard said that Mexico´s Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks has checked these ready-made batches to be authorized no later than May 24. Later, the vaccines must be checked by AstraZeneca and once authorized, these can be applied.

In the case of first-four batches, AstraZeneca pharmaceutical company follows a too strict checking, supervision and testing process.

We do not know the exact day the vaccines can be used. This process is just to guarantee the entire process was in accordance with the company´s standards, Ebrard stated.

Argentina manufactures the active substance made by Farma at the Abxience plant and shipped it in bulk to Mexico in February for packaging process at Liomont Company.

The main purpose is to produce 150 to 250 million vaccine doses for Latin America, although of the total produced in Mexico half will remain in the country, Ebrard sorted out.

Mexico is already producing two vaccine candidates since it also packages the Chinese CanSino vaccines in Querétaro and is doing business with Russia so that both Sputnik V and Sputnik Light vaccines are also manufactured in Mexico.

mh/pll/jf / lma