Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Tuesday, Jan 13, 2026

Panamá y Chile son los únicos países de la región que aparecen en este primer grupo de naciones

Panama among the first countries in the world to secure doses of vaccine against COVID-19

An analysis of data on vaccine contracts, carried out by Duke University, Unicef ​​and the scientific company Airfinity, reveals that Panama is among the first countries in the world to receive the vaccine against SARSCoV-2.
The study was published by the American newspaper The New York Times and places our country together with the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and the European Union in the group of nations that made advance orders ensuring the purchase of duly authorized vaccines against the coronavirus according to the number of inhabitants.

The study adds that without guarantee that a particular vaccine would arrive, Panama and Chile are the only countries in the region that appear in this first group of nations that hedged their bets in a series of candidates since the start of the race of the global scientific community for the manufacture of the vaccine to combat COVID-19.

The newspaper notes that as a growing number of vaccines progress through clinical trials, these countries have guaranteed access to more than half of the doses that could hit the market by the end of next year.

Panama began negotiations with pharmaceutical companies, universities, governments and also joined the COVAX initiative to ensure and make timely purchases and in sufficient quantities to inoculate its entire population. While countries such as the US, the UK and the EU, contributed millionaire contributions to the study and testing process to obtain a safe and effective vaccine by pushing them at a speed and scale that would have been impossible otherwise, but the support came with one condition: to have priority access to the doses of these vaccines.

The National Government has negotiated the purchase of 3 million doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine, based on mRNA from the American company Pfizer in association with BioNTech, one million 92 thousand doses from the British AstraZeneca UK Limited, in association with Oxford University, and also negotiates with Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals.

The Pfizer vaccine, developed with BioNTech, is already licensed in Great Britain, Bahrain, Canada, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and the United States. AstraZeneca, in collaboration with the University of Oxford, is likely to seek approval in Britain, India, and several other countries in the coming weeks.

The AstraZeneca vaccine has been detailed to be cheap and easy to store, and many more doses of this vaccine have been promised than of any other candidate: 3.210 million, more than half of them destined for poor and middle-income countries. The company has partnered with 10 manufacturers around the world.

Regarding the pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson, whose vaccine is being tested as a single dose, the newspaper indicates that this makes it another competitor in the developing world, it has promised 500,000 injections to low-income countries, without specifying which nations would receive them.

In Panama, the Ministry of Health (Minsa) confirmed that the first doses of these vaccines will be in the country in the first quarter of 2021.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Designates Saudi Arabia a Major Non-NATO Ally, Elevating US–Riyadh Defense Partnership
Trump Organization Deepens Saudi Property Focus with $10 Billion Luxury Developments
There is no sovereign immunity for poisoning millions with drugs.
Mohammed bin Salman’s Global Standing: Strategic Partner in Transition Amid Debate Over His Role
Saudi Arabia Opens Property Market to Foreign Buyers in Landmark Reform
The U.S. State Department’s account in Persian: “President Trump is a man of action. If you didn’t know it until now, now you do—do not play games with President Trump.”
CNN’s Ranking of Israel’s Women’s Rights Sparks Debate After Misleading Global Index Comparison
Saudi Arabia’s Shifting Regional Alignment Raises Strategic Concerns in Jerusalem
OPEC+ Holds Oil Output Steady Amid Member Tensions and Market Oversupply
Iranian Protests Intensify as Another Revolutionary Guard Member Is Killed and Khamenei Blames the West
President Trump Says United States Will Administer Venezuela Until a Secure Leadership Transition
Delta Force Identified as Unit Behind U.S. Operation That Captured Venezuela’s President
Trump Announces U.S. Large-Scale Strike on Venezuela, Declares President Maduro and Wife Captured
Saudi-UAE Rift Adds Complexity to Middle East Diplomacy as Trump Signals Firm Leadership
OPEC+ to Keep Oil Output Policy Unchanged Despite Saudi-UAE Tensions Over Yemen
Saudi Arabia and UAE at Odds in Yemen Conflict as Southern Offensive Deepens Gulf Rift
Abu Dhabi ‘Capital of Capital’: How Abu Dhabi Rose as a Sovereign Wealth Power
Diamonds Are Powering a New Quantum Revolution
Trump Threatens Strikes Against Iran if Nuclear Programme Is Restarted
Why Saudi Arabia May Recalibrate Its US Spending Commitments Amid Rising China–America Rivalry
Riyadh Air’s First Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner Completes Initial Test Flight, Advancing Saudi Carrier’s Launch
Saudi Arabia’s 2025: A Pivotal Year of Global Engagement and Domestic Transformation
Saudi Arabia to Introduce Sugar-Content Based Tax on Sweetened Drinks from January 2026
Saudi Hotels Prepare for New Hospitality Roles as Alcohol Curbs Ease
Global Airports Forum Highlights Saudi Arabia’s Emergence as a Leading Aviation Powerhouse
Saudi Arabia Weighs Strategic Choice on Iran Amid Regional Turbulence
Not Only F-35s: Saudi Arabia to Gain Access to the World’s Most Sensitive Technology
Saudi Arabia Condemns Sydney Bondi Beach Shooting and Expresses Solidarity with Australia
Washington Watches Beijing–Riyadh Rapprochement as Strategic Balance Shifts
Saudi Arabia Urges Stronger Partnerships and Efficient Aid Delivery at OCHA Donor Support Meeting in Geneva
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 Drives Measurable Lift in Global Reputation and Influence
Alcohol Policies Vary Widely Across Muslim-Majority Countries, With Many Permitting Consumption Under Specific Rules
Saudi Arabia Clarifies No Formal Ban on Photography at Holy Mosques for Hajj 2026
Libya and Saudi Arabia Sign Strategic MoU to Boost Telecommunications Cooperation
Elon Musk’s xAI Announces Landmark 500-Megawatt AI Data Center in Saudi Arabia
Israel Moves to Safeguard Regional Stability as F-35 Sales Debate Intensifies
Cardi B to Make Historic Saudi Arabia Debut at Soundstorm 2025 Festival
U.S. Democratic Lawmakers Raise National Security and Influence Concerns Over Paramount’s Hostile Bid for Warner Bros. Discovery
Hackers Are Hiding Malware in Open-Source Tools and IDE Extensions
Traveling to USA? Homeland Security moving toward requiring foreign travelers to share social media history
Wall Street Analysts Clash With Riyadh Over Saudi Arabia’s Deficit Outlook
Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Cement $1 Trillion-Plus Deals in High-Profile White House Summit
Saudi Arabia Opens Alcohol Sales to Wealthy Non-Muslim Residents Under New Access Rules
U.S.–Saudi Rethink Deepens — Washington Moves Ahead Without Linking Riyadh to Israel Normalisation
Saudi Arabia and Israel Deprioritise Diplomacy: Normalisation No Longer a Middle-East Priority
Saudi Arabia Positions Itself as the Backbone of the Global AI Era
As Trump Deepens Ties with Saudi Arabia, Push for Israel Normalization Takes a Back Seat
Thai Food Village Debuts at Saudi Feast Food Festival 2025 Under Thai Commerce Minister Suphajee’s Lead
Saudi Arabia Sharpens Its Strategic Vision as Economic Transformation Enters New Phase
Saudi Arabia Projects $44 Billion Budget Shortfall in 2026 as Economy Rebalances
×