Given the impossibility of claiming or ending the contract signed in 2020 with the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca for the purchase of vaccines against Covid-19, due to non-compliance with delivery dates, the country intends to negotiate with the multinational to exchange the vaccines for other highly needed drugs in the country.
This was reported yesterday by the Deputy Minister of Collective Health, Eladio Pérez, who said that among the medicines manufactured by that multinational that could supply the country are products aimed at cardiovascular health, hypertension and diabetes.
The official answered questions from journalists about the measures that the country could adopt, after the complaints made by President Luis Abinader about the “non-compliance” by the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, in the purchase of vaccines against Covid-19 and the possibility of taking the case to international arbitration.
The signed contract is impenetrable
However, the contract signed in 2020 contains clauses that tie the hands of the Dominican Government to succeed in international arbitration.
Pérez said that the change of vaccines pending delivery for other drugs is a negotiation proposal that the country has, but that the pharmaceutical company’s decision must be awaited.
He added that they are in a negotiation process with AstraZeneca, so that instead of supplying the pending doses of vaccines, the country can obtain other medicines from that pharmaceutical company.
5.8 million
Pérez explained that there was an agreement for 10 million vaccines and the batch was not received, due to the delay. “5.8 million were agreed and only 800 arrived, that is why we are talking about correcting this lack with other pharmaceutical products, such as medicines to treat cardiovascular problems and diabetes, but they have not yet made a decision. In total expired vaccines are more than 300 thousand AstraZeneca biologicals”.
The country contracted 10 million vaccines from the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, for which the Dominican State paid some 40 million dollars in advance, at 4 dollars each dose.
The Deputy Minister of Collective Health said that among the vaccines that have already expired, there is a batch from AstraZeneca and since at this time the country’s needs are not for more vaccines, they will go after those negotiations to obtain drugs.
DETAIL
POINT
“The buyer (Dominican Republic) waives and releases any claim against AstraZeneca arising out of or related to… delays in the delivery of the vaccine under the contract,” the agreement says, among others.
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