Vaccines: Moscow appeal expected | Why again …

Health ministry still awaiting appeal from Russia to start flights to Moscow in which the contracted and planned doses will be brought before the end of the month. So far, from the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which manages the Sputnik V vaccine, they have not given the green light, even though a week ago they said vaccines were available. What happens with Sputnik happens with all vaccines: Pfizer is more than a month behind in deliveries and Oxford-AstraZéneca would not start deliveries to Europe for two weeks. One possible explanation is that pharmaceutical companies they oversold their delivery capacity and now they are struggling to comply with what was signed. In Europe, they are even threatening criminal prosecution for the arrears, amid an even more dramatic situation due to push back and extensive curfews in many countries.

The impression in the Argentine government is that Russia is ready to comply with what has been signed but that they emerge production problems. The terms and conditions of the contract were proposed by Russia, that is, there was no acceleration compared to what was offered by the Gamaleya Institute. That is why the start signal is expected to arrive at all times.

On the Argentinian side everything is ready. At Aerolineas Argentinas, the planes have been reconfigured and the crews are appointed. The CEO of the company, Pablo Ceriani, has already agreed with the pilots on the sequence of the routes which, not being traditional, required the agreement of the union. The contract with the Investment Fund provides for the arrival of four million of dose 1 and one million of dose 2 before January 31, but Argentina would be enough to arrive in batches of one million. doses per week.

In view of the arrival of vaccines, vaccination plans are underway. In the province of Buenos Aires, there are already more than a million registered, while at CABA the register has not been opened.. Buenos Aires Health Minister Fernán Quiros said registration will take place as soon as the national government notifies that vaccines are available. Priority will be for retirement homes and people over 70.

The battle for vaccines rages across the world. The United States, which does not allow the export of vaccines, administered 21 million vaccines as of Sunday. The proportion is that six inhabitants out of 100 have been vaccinated. In Europe, the evolution is even slower: two inhabitants out of 100. And in this panorama, it seems obvious that the countries which are not central are the relegated. There is absolute darkness in the agreements with pharmaceutical companies, but a leak from the European Union has revealed that this alliance has paid 21,000 million euros for 2,300 million doses. These figures explain the statement by the World Health Organization which diagnosed that millions of people safe in central countries will be vaccinated earlier than people over 60 and at risk in peripheral countries.

The maneuvers are also scandalous in the prices. As is known, a more aggressive variant has emerged in South Africa, and the country is in desperate need of vaccines. South African authorities say they are billed twice a dose of what European countries are billed. In Israel, the issue has also led to a scandal, in principle because the terms of contracts are kept secret. At the end leak that Israel pays 50% more than Europe and that in addition, it provides detailed information to Pfizer on the results and consequences. Since the health system belongs to the State, it is the State itself which manages all the information, including the evolution of antibodies, the reactions after being vaccinated, the number of vaccinated people who have been infected anyway after the first dose, and a lot of other data which is undoubtedly indispensable to the laboratory.

As part of such war for vaccinesArgentina signed a contract and hope it will be honored. The first signal should be a call from Moscow that the air operation can begin. Of course, the other plans are moving forward, including the one that seems most solid: the deal with Oxford-AstraZeneca for 22 million vaccines which would arrive in March. The dialogue with Sinopharm, the Chinese vaccine, which for the first time spoke of a price continues –twice as much as other vaccines– but has not yet compromised a certain number of vaccines or a delivery time.