Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador listens to Mexico's deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell during his daily press conference at the Palacio Nacional in Mexico City on December 8, 2020. / AFP / ALFREDO ESTRELLA
MONTERREY, Mexico - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Tuesday he'll wait his turn for the COVID-19 vaccine, as officials detailed a plan that prioritizes health care workers and the elderly to receive the first doses of the vaccines.
"I'm going to wait for it to correspond to me, for it to be my turn, according to the program," said Lopez Obrador during his regular morning news conference, adding that health care workers must be protected first because they are risking their lives during the pandemic.
Under the plan 67-year-old Lopez Obrador will be in the fourth phase. People over 80 years old will be second in line after health workers, followed by those over 70, then those over 60.
Mexico's Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez Gatell said during the same news conference that Mexico aims to begin administering Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine to 125,000 health workers in December, apparently scaling back its earlier plan to apply the first vaccine doses for 250,000 people by end of the year.
Mexico will receive a million doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine in January, February, and March, Mexico's Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said, also during Tuesday's news conference.
Ebrard added that Mexico aims to sign a deal later this week for 35 million doses of China's Cansino Biologics COVID-19 vaccine.
