Uruguayan FA rolls out Chinese COVID-19 vaccine

Football players in Uruguay's first division receive their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine developed by Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinovac, at Centenario Stadium in Montevideo, Uruguay, May 6, 2021. (Xinhua/Nicolas Zelaya)

More than 1,000 shots of vaccines developed and donated by Chinese firm Sinovac have been administered to players, coaches and officials in Uruguay.

MONTEVIDEO, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Uruguay's top men's and women's football teams have begun receiving COVID-19 vaccines donated by China's Sinovac Biotech, the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) said on Friday.

More than 1,000 shots were administered to players, coaches and officials at the Centenario stadium in Montevideo on Thursday and Friday.

"This afternoon ... [we] finalized the process for the first dose of the vaccine donated by the Chinese company Sinovac Biotech Ltd to the South American Football Confederation [CONMEBOL] through the Uruguayan government," read an AUF statement.

Last week, CONMEBOL announced that it began distributing the Sinovac vaccines to its 10 member associations after a shipment of 50,000 doses arrived at the Carrasco international airport near Montevideo.

A football player receives a body temperature check before entering the stadium. (Xinhua/Nicolas Celaya)

Officials said the doses would be used to inoculate participants of the region's elite club competitions and the Copa America, to be played in Argentina and Colombia from June 13 to July 10.

According to CONMEBOL, each player taking part in the tournament - including Argentina captain Lionel Messi and Brazil star Neymar - has been allocated doses with their "first and last name."

Among those to receive the first round of doses in Uruguay were players and staff of Nacional, Penarol, Montevideo City Torque, Cerro Largo, Nautico, Penarol, Racing and River Plate.

Shots were also given to Uruguay's national futsal and beach football teams, as well as referees and other officials, the AUF said.