Moderna donates 2.7 million vaccine doses to Mexico as COVID-19 cases surge

Moderna donated 2.7 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to Mexico as cases surge in the country. 

The donations arrived on Saturday at an airport in Toluca after the country this week surpassed more than 300,000 total confirmed coronavirus deaths, The Associated Press reported. 

The government said the doses will go to teachers as the country tries to return to fully in-person learning.

“We are grateful to receive this donation, which will undoubtedly help more boys, girls and youths to come to classrooms with greater safety and confidence,” Education Secretary Delfina Gómez said, according to the AP.

The donations came after Mexico approved Cuba’s three-shot coronavirus vaccine at the end of December.

Mexico has 57 percent of its population fully vaccinated and has authorized the use of 10 different vaccines.

COVID-19 cases have spiked around the world amid the spread of the more contagious omicron variant. However, early studies suggest the new variant is less severe than previous strains of the virus.