Although the Ministry of Health said it would purchase 5,600 monkeypox vaccines through the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the delivery is halted due to a clause from the Nordic Bavarian pharmaceutical company, which manufactures the vaccines. . Neither the Colombian government nor the Nordic company wanted to give way.
Sources from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) told EL COLOMBIANO that, while continuing the talks, the pharmaceutical company insisted on the inclusion of a “compensation” clause, which prompted the Ministry of Health to analyze other options. for the purchase of vaccines.
In fact, PAHO revealed that Colombia is not on the list of countries that will receive doses to combat monkeypox and it does not even appear on the list of countries that have shown interest in acquiring vaccines.
(Keep reading: Monkeypox: Colombia will receive 5,600 vaccines to fight the disease).
What is the discord clause that has prevented the progress of the negotiations in Colombia? Health Minister Carolina Corcho had already said she had a “qualification” against the demands of the Nordic Bavarian. As she pointed out, the indemnity clause obliged the Colombian state to “pay the pharmaceutical company for all errors and damages” against vaccination. As you pointed out, if you complied with the requirements of the pharmaceutical company, you would be committing a crime under Colombian law.
Well, following this disagreement, Minister Cork has promoted a “renegotiation” with the pharmaceutical company, which apparently has not been successful.
Meanwhile, other countries in the region have decided to move forward with the acquisition of vaccines. In fact, it became known this week that Chile has received the first of three batches of doses. And on October 4, the first shipments landed in Brazil.
Although the Ministry of Health said it would purchase 5,600 monkeypox vaccines through the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the delivery is halted due to a clause from the Nordic Bavarian pharmaceutical company, which manufactures the vaccines. . Neither the Colombian government nor the Nordic company wanted to give way.
Sources from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) told EL COLOMBIANO that, while continuing the talks, the pharmaceutical company insisted on the inclusion of a “compensation” clause, which prompted the Ministry of Health to analyze other options. for the purchase of vaccines.
In fact, PAHO revealed that Colombia is not on the list of countries that will receive doses to combat monkeypox and it does not even appear on the list of countries that have shown interest in acquiring vaccines.
What is the discord clause that has prevented the progress of the negotiations in Colombia? Health Minister Carolina Corcho had already said she had a “qualification” against the demands of the Nordic Bavarian. As she pointed out, the indemnity clause obliged the Colombian state to “pay the pharmaceutical company for all errors and damages” against vaccination. As you pointed out, if you complied with the requirements of the pharmaceutical company, you would be committing a crime under Colombian law.
Well, following this disagreement, Minister Cork has promoted a “renegotiation” with the pharmaceutical company, which apparently has not been successful.
Meanwhile, other countries in the region have decided to move forward with the acquisition of vaccines. In fact, it became known this week that Chile has received the first of three batches of doses. And on October 4, the first shipments landed in Brazil.
“This is a public health emergency of international importance, even if it is not a pandemic. It is a scenario where an opportunity is needed in the acquisition of vaccines, which must be acquired as soon as possible, “said Julián Fernández, former director of Epidemiology at the Ministry of Health during the last government.
Fernández stressed that there should be a stronger legal strategy to ensure populations affected by monkeypox have equal access to vaccines.
The minister was also reminded of the strong criticisms leveled at the previous government for the difficulties in obtaining vaccines against covid-19.
“As happened with covid-19, (pharmaceutical companies) have very demanding compensation and adverse event management clauses in place that make it very difficult for countries to refuse to accept them,” said Claudia Vaca, director of the think tank. on medicines. Information and Power of the National University.
“I don’t think the point is to focus on the speed (of obtaining vaccines), much less for the aggressive way in which some criticisms are made. But I think the strategy is not clear, “Vaca said.
He also indicated that there are massive multilateral purchasing and working mechanisms that allow for counterbalancing the demands of pharmaceutical companies. Precisely for this reason he criticized the fact that Colombia was not on the PAHO lists. And he concluded that there should be more clarity on Colombia’s path to vaccine acquisition.
Although this newspaper consulted the Ministry of Health on this issue, it received no response at the close of this edition.
Low anticovid vaccination
But monkeypox vaccination isn’t the only process that has tangles. This journal reviewed vaccination rates against covid-19 and found a 38.5% slowdown in the number of doses applied over the past four months (see graph).
The results come shortly after Minister Corcho said he would relaunch the National Vaccination Plan with the goal of reaching more than 400 municipalities left behind.
At the time, he asked EPS to strengthen active search strategies for unvaccinated people.
The announcement that people under 50 will be able to apply the fourth dose of anticovid is expected to boost the figures for the next few weeks.
“This is a public health emergency of international importance, even if it is not a pandemic. It is a scenario where an opportunity is needed in the acquisition of vaccines, which must be acquired as soon as possible, “said Julián Fernández, former director of Epidemiology at the Ministry of Health during the last government.
Fernández stressed that there should be a stronger legal strategy to ensure populations affected by monkeypox have equal access to vaccines.
The minister was also reminded of the strong criticisms leveled at the previous government for the difficulties in obtaining vaccines against covid-19.
“As happened with covid-19, (pharmaceutical companies) have very demanding compensation and adverse event management clauses in place that make it very difficult for countries to refuse to accept them,” said Claudia Vaca, director of the think tank. on medicines. Information and Power of the National University.
“I don’t think the point is to focus on the speed (of obtaining vaccines), much less for the aggressive way in which some criticisms are made. But I think the strategy is not clear, “Vaca said.
He also indicated that there are massive multilateral purchasing and working mechanisms that allow for counterbalancing the demands of pharmaceutical companies. Precisely for this reason he criticized the fact that Colombia was not on the PAHO lists. And he concluded that there should be more clarity on Colombia’s path to vaccine acquisition.
Although this newspaper consulted the Ministry of Health on this issue, it received no response at the close of this edition.
Low anticovid vaccination
But monkeypox vaccination isn’t the only process that has tangles. This journal reviewed vaccination rates against covid-19 and found a 38.5% slowdown in the number of doses applied over the past four months (see graph).
The results come shortly after Minister Corcho said he would relaunch the National Vaccination Plan with the goal of reaching more than 400 municipalities left behind.
At the time, he asked EPS to strengthen active search strategies for unvaccinated people.
The announcement that people under 50 will be able to apply the fourth dose of anticovid is expected to boost the figures for the next few weeks.
