Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Saturday, Feb 21, 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
Concerns Mount Over Potential Saudi Uranium Enrichment in Prospective US Nuclear Accord
Trump Directs Government to Release UFO and Alien Information
Trump Signs Global 10% Tariffs on Imports
Investability Emerges as the Defining Test of Saudi Arabia’s Next Market Phase
Saudi Arabia’s Packaging Market Accelerates as Sustainability and E-Commerce Drive Transformation
Saudi Arabia’s Strategic Minerals Drive Offers Lessons for Europe’s Supply Chain Ambitions
Saudi Arabia Unveils $32 Billion Push Into Theme Parks and Global Entertainment
Saudi Crude Exports to India Climb Sharply, Closing Gap With Russia
Saudi Arabia’s Halal Cosmetics Market Expands as Faith and Ethical Beauty Drive Growth
United Kingdom Denies U.S. Access to Military Base for Potential Iran Strike
ImmunityBio Secures Saudi Partnerships to Launch Flagship Cancer Therapy
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia Launch Expanded Renewable Energy Partnership
US Supreme Court Voids Trump’s Emergency Tariff Plan, Reshaping Trade Power and Fiscal Risk
UK Intensifies Efforts to Secure Saudi Investment in Next-Generation Fighter Jet Programme
Saudi Arabia Tops Middle East Green Building Rankings with Record Growth in 2025
Qatar and Saudi Arabia Each Commit One Billion Dollars to President Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ Initiative
Ramadan 2026 Prayer Times Set as Fasting Begins in Saudi Arabia and Egypt Announces Dates
Saudi Arabia Launches Ramadan 2026 Hotel Campaign to Boost Religious and Leisure Tourism
Saudi Arabia Seeks Reroute of Greece-Bound Fibre-Optic Cable Through Syria Instead of Israel
Saudi-Backed Scopely Acquires Majority Stake in Turkey’s Loom Games to Expand Mobile Portfolio
Zodiac Milpro Launches Zid Marine Joint Venture in Saudi Arabia to Expand Regional Shipbuilding
Saudi Arabia Reaffirms Reform Path Amid Claims of Ideological Reversal
Calls Grow for Saudi Arabia and UAE to Settle Differences Through Direct Dialogue
Jensen Huang just told the story of how Elon Musk became NVIDIA’s very first customer for their powerful AI supercomputer
British couple sentenced to 10 years in Iran for espionage
Former British Prince Andrew Arrested on Suspicion of Misconduct in Public Office
Unitree Robotics founder Wang Xingxing showcases future robot deployment during Spring Festival Gala.
Prince William Holds Talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman During Saudi Visit
Saudi Arabia’s Humain Commits $3 Billion Investment to Elon Musk’s xAI
SCOPA Executive Unveils Ambitious Relaunch Strategy for Saudi Production Company
Saudi Arabia Sees Rise in Business Visa Rejections Amid Tighter Compliance Checks
Saudi PIF Transfers Take-Two Stake to Savvy Games Group in Strategic Gaming Push
Jimmy Carr Says He ‘Loved’ Saudi Arabia Show Amid Debate Over Performing in the Kingdom
Sotheby’s ‘Origins II’ Auction Signals Saudi Collectors’ Shift Toward Cultural Legacy
EY and Microsoft Deepen Saudi Arabia Partnership with Launch of EY Studio+
Google Pay Launches Support for Mastercard Cards in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia Bolsters Maritime Surveillance Fleet with Four C-27J Patrol Aircraft
Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia Deepen Strategic Partnership with New Investment and Energy Agreements
Saudi Crown Prince Receives Written Message from Kazakhstan’s President Amid Expanding Strategic Ties
ImmunityBio Shares Rise After Saudi Arabia BCG Manufacturing Update Spurs Investor Optimism
Global Music Star Tyla Confirmed as Headliner at 2026 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Entertainment Lineup
Somalia and Saudi Arabia Forge New Military Partnership Amid Regional Power Shifts
Saudi Arabia and Several Nations Criticize Israeli West Bank Land Measures as Diplomatic Tensions Rise
Saudi Public Investment Fund Transfers Stake in Take-Two Interactive as Portfolio Strategy Evolves
Saudi Arabia’s Flagship Defense Expo Highlights Industrial Ambitions and Expanding Arms Portfolio
Strategic Divergence Deepens as Saudi Arabia and UAE Recalibrate Gulf Partnership
Saudi Arabia Confirms Start of Ramadan as Crescent Moon Sighted, While Other Nations Begin a Day Later
Rubio Calls for Sweeping U.N. Reform, Saying It Has Failed to End Wars in Gaza and Ukraine
10,000 Condoms Distributed at Winter Olympics 2026 Athlete Village Depleted Within 72 Hours
Prince William Meets Saudi Crown Prince as Epstein-Andrew Fallout Casts Shadow
×