According to Thierry Bodin, CGT manager at Sanofi, the employees “want this vaccine to be distributed to the entire world population, that is to say that there is no privilege that is assigned to the United States. United.”
Sanofi will serve the United States first if it finds a vaccine against the new coronavirus, since the country “share the risk” research conducted through a partnership, said the director general of the French laboratory Paul Hudson to the Bloomberg agency, Wednesday, May 13. “We have always made a commitment that in these unprecedented circumstances, our vaccine will be accessible to all”, however added the laboratory in a press release.
This statement by Paul Hudson is “particularly shocking”, declared on franceinfo Thierry Bodin, CGT manager at Sanofi. “It is particularly shocking in view of the pandemic which affects the whole planet”, continues the trade unionist. “Sanofi employees want this vaccine to be distributed to the entire world population, that is to say that there is no privilege that is affected in the United States.”
franceinfo: Does this statement by the director of Sanofi shock you?
Thierry Bodin: Yes, it is particularly shocking. When Sanofi signed a contract with the American health authority, there was bound to be content in this agreement. It had to be made clear that the Americans wanted to be served first and therefore Sanofi, when they contracted, it was to have significant funding to develop the vaccine. But they knew full well what the risks were, that is to say that it meets American requirements and especially those of its president, “America first”. And it is particularly shocking in view of the pandemic which affects the entire planet.
Sanofi’s reasoning is that the United States has invested to try to protect its people. Does this mean that France and Europe have not done enough?
Very clearly, Sanofi is looking for financial means to develop a vaccine, obviously hoping that this vaccine will see the light of day. And the teams are mobilized to get there. But Sanofi employees want this vaccine to be distributed to the entire world population, that is to say that there is no privilege that is affected in the United States. There are public financings, 110 to 130 million tax credits which are paid each year by the French State to Sanofi, there are four billion dividends which were paid to the shareholders. These financial resources could be used in particular to develop a vaccine for the whole of Europe, the United States and other countries. It is out of the question that, whatever the pharmaceutical laboratory, a laboratory makes money with a vaccine against the coronavirus in view of the pandemic and the health danger that it represents.
The whole world will be served, says Sanofi, if he finds a vaccine against Covid-19, but with a few days or weeks away from the United States. Do you think it is too long?
I think the caregivers on the front line know this. It is important that as many people as possible are vaccinated as soon as a vaccine becomes available, and that only the United States is served first, it would be a complete scandal. Honestly, one has the impression that behind the words of the director of Sanofi, it is a desire to obtain money from Europe. We repeat, Sanofi has just paid four billion. These four billion, they can be used to develop this vaccine without having to beg for public money elsewhere. This vaccine must be accessible to the whole planet and there must be the conditions both in terms of price, in terms of production capacity, to allow the entire world population have access. A commitment from Sanofi is needed to ensure that this vaccine is not a source of profit.
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