STORY: Peru strengthens vaccine administration following new COVID-19 variant
DATELINE: Sept. 3, 2023
LENGTH: 00:03:36
LOCATION: Lima
CATEGORY: HEALTH

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the Ministry of Health conference announcing the new variant in Peru
2. various of the vaccination
3. various of Peruvians in downtown Lima
4. various of vaccine
5. various of the vaccination

STORYLINE:

Peruvian Health Minister Cesar Vasquez announced on Friday that in the coming days they will reinforce the administration of the bivalent vaccine against the coronavirus variant EG.5 after confirming the first two cases in the country.

He emphasized that the bivalent vaccine "provides the best protection against these new variants" and mentioned that the country has a "sufficient quantity of these vaccines" to protect the entire population, especially vulnerable groups and those who have not yet been vaccinated against the new coronavirus.

According to the Ministry of Health, these EG.5 variant cases involve a 57-year-old male and a 56-year-old female, who are now in "home isolation." Both of them had received three doses of the COVID-19 vaccine before.

Despite the emergence of the new variant, Vasquez later confirmed that the country would not declare a health emergency or implement mandatory social isolation.

Variant EG.5 is a sub-variant of Omicron XBB.1.9.2.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Lima.
(XHTV)