At the beginning of autumn, Germany was affected by the fourth Covid-19 wave. In this context, vaccinations are currently a highly discussed topic in society. But what is the situation actually like in Bolivia?

In Bolivia, the vaccination campaign began in February 2021, with Sinopharm and Sputnik V being the main vaccines, but also Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca and BioNtech. So far, around 43% of the Bolivian population (as of the end of November 2021) has been vaccinated at least once. While there is sufficient vaccine in the large cities, such as La Paz or Santa Cruz, and the vaccination rates clearly exceed the national average, there is a lack of vaccine and health information, especially in rural areas. This is also evident in our Weekly Boarding School in Indigenous Families. The majority of teachers and many older people in Tentaguazu and Copacabana are already vaccinated as they have been prioritised. However, most of the older students and many young people are still waiting until there is enough vaccine for them as well.

A fourth wave of Covid-19 is also on the horizon in Bolivia. The number of infected people has been rising again for a good eight weeks. In view of the low vaccination rate, the disastrous health system and the new Omikron variant, it can be assumed that Bolivia is heading for further hard months, which will hit the poor population particularly hard.