UPDATE 1-Guatemala renegotiates Sputnik V contract to receive 8 mln doses, says president

(Adds comment by the president)

GUATEMALA CITY, July 27 (Reuters) - Guatemala's President Alejandro Giammattei said on Tuesday the Central American nation has renegotiated its contract for the delivery of Russia's Sputnik V vaccines and is also in talks with Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson for their coronavirus shots.

Guatemala, with 18 million inhabitants, has only inoculated 309,339 people so far, according to the health ministry.

Guatemala had a contract for the delivery of 16 million doses of Sputnik V vaccines but the vaccines have been badly delayed, prompting some officials last month to talk about asking for a refund from Russia.

Giammattei told a news conference that the original contract for the Russian vaccine has been renegotiated and now Guatemala would receive 8 million doses.

The money that was due to go towards Sputnik vaccines will now be reinvested to get a further 8 million doses from Pfizer , Moderna or Johnson & Johnson, Giammattei said.

"We are going to get them through the other pharmaceutical houses," Giammattei said. (Reporting by Sofia Menchu; Writing by Drazen Jorgic; Editing by Sandra Maler and Raju Gopalakrishnan)