MEXICO CITY — On Sunday, the Mexican president confirmed that he contracted COVID-19. But that didn’t stop him from video calling Russia’s president the next day to negotiate the acquisition of millions of COVID vaccines. 

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and President Vladimir Putin agreed to send 24 million doses of the Russian COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V to Mexico.

Sputnik V is one of the first registered vaccines against the coronavirus and was tested with volunteers in Mexico under the government’s blessing. Critics say Putin’s administration hasn't been fully transparent on its testings.

Mexico is currently providing the Pfizer vaccine for free and prioritizing health care workers. The government will soon also begin administering the Sputnik V, Canseco and AstraZeneca vaccines. 

AstraZeneca will produce the vaccine in Argentina and later ship it to Mexico for its bottling and distribution.