Argentina to begin rollout of Russian coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V

Argentina will begin vaccinating its population against coronavirus on Tuesday, using Russia's Sputnik V vaccine.

Health workers will be first in line to receive the first shot of the two-component vaccine. The vaccine will be administered across all 23 provinces and in the capital Buenos Aires.

Some 300,000 doses of the vaccine arrived in the Latin American country last Thursday, a day after it authorized the emergency use of Sputnik V. Under the contract, Russia will deliver ten million doses.

Carla Vizzotti, the country's secretary for health access, described the campaign on Monday as "the most important vaccination in our history."

Argentina has extended mandatory social distancing until January 31. The country confirmed 5,030 new cases of infection and 149 deaths on Monday, bringing the totals to, respectively, 1,583,297 cases and 42,650 deaths.