MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay — Uruguay stopped administering coronavirus vaccine to children under age 13 after a judge ordered on Thursday that all inoculations in that age group halt until officials present documents relating to contracts signed with vaccine manufacturers.
Judge Alejandro Recarey issued the injunction under a petition filed by a lawyer who represents a group of anti-vaccine activists.
The vaccinations in children under 13 had been on a voluntary basis, and the government said it will appeal the decision.
Alvaro Delgado, the secretary of the presidency, characterized the halt as a threat to public health.
“We’re convinced that it’s crazy to suspend voluntary vaccination because it has a strong scientific backing,” Delgado said at a news conference.
Vaccinations for those older than 13 will continue, the Health Ministry said in a news release.
The lawyer who sought the injunction, Maximiliano Dentone, represents anti-vaccine activists who have demanded that contracts with vaccine manufacturers be made public.
The judge ordered the vaccination after receiving on Thursday answers to 18 questions about the safety and chemical composition of the vaccines that was signed by Health Minister Daniel Salinas.
Salinas published an open letter after the ruling strongly defending the government’s vaccination plan and criticizing the judge for questioning the safety of vaccines.
“Many Uruguayans under 13 have been able to receive the necessary doses, but others have not,” Salinas wrote.
Dentone said the government had failed to present the contracts with pharmaceutical giant Pfizer that he had requested. The government has said a confidentiality clause in the contract prevents it from sharing the document.
The judge is seeking, among other things, to know whether there are clauses in the contracts that promised civil and criminal immunity due to any adverse effects from the vaccines. Recarey also wants information about the chemical composition of the vaccines.
COVID-19 cases have been on the rise in Uruguay in recent weeks along with other respiratory infections that are typical of winter months.
As of Thursday, 44% of Uruguayan children between ages 5 and 11 and 75% of those between 12 and 14 have received two doses of coronavirus vaccine, according to Uruguay government data.
According to a report from Pet Food Processing, inflation on pet food was at 6.
FALMOUTH, MA – The police in Falmouth have identified the victim in an accident involving a car plunging into the ocean on February 20, NBC10 Boston reported.
BCHARRE, Lebanon (AP) — Majestic cedar trees towered over dozens of Lebanese Christians gathered outside a small mid-19th century chapel hidden in a mountain forest to celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration, the miracle where Jesus Christ, on a mountaintop, shined with light before his disciples.
ATHENS – On the occasion of the centenary of the birth of Maria Callas, widely considered the greatest diva in the history of opera, the Hellenic Institute of Cultural Diplomacy-U.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two months after his historic ouster as House speaker, Republican Rep.
LONDON (AP) — The British government apologized Wednesday to the families of 97 Liverpool soccer fans who died after a stadium crush 34 years ago, as it introduced a charter it said will sharply diminish the chances that others will endure the kinds of injustices they suffered.
CAIRO (AP) — A cargo ship broke down in Egypt's Suez Canal on Wednesday and crashed into a bridge over the crucial waterway, authorities said, adding that the incident did not disrupt traffic through the canal.
Explore articles from the past and connect to your heritage!
Discover the benefits of a subscription including access to exclusive content, events, and more!
Have an idea for a story, or know of an event we should cover? We want to hear about it!
The National Herald is the paper of record of the Greek Diaspora community. Through independent journalism, we bring news to generations of Greek-Americans, with stories on the individual, community and international level. Visit and support our 106 year-old sister publication Εθνικός Κήρυξ.
To purchase a gift subscription, please log out of your account, and purchase the subscription with a new email ID.
Sign up to receive our daily email news briefing.
Sign up for a subscription to The National Herald,
starting as low as $1/week.
and receive more access to The National Herald
View our Terms of Service + Privacy Policy.
and receive more access to The National Herald
View our Terms of Service + Privacy Policy.
We use cookies on our site to personalize your experience, bring you the most relevant content, show you the most useful ads, and to help report any issues with our site. You can update your preferences at any time by visiting preferences. By selecting Accept, you consent to our use of cookies. To learn more about how your data is used, visit our cookie policy.
$1.08 USD
