If the contracts are released, Argentina could receive more than 2 million doses donated by the United States.

Experts closely following US negotiations warn Bugle a few months ago: all the Argentinian negotiations in Washington to be vaccinated they were going to crash against the same wall: without legal framework, nothing. Now, with the decree signed by President Alberto Fernández, Argentina will be able to unlock the donations that the Joe Biden administration offers to the world. Could receive more than 2 million doses, according to sources entrusted to this correspondent.

The White House had announced in recent weeks a series of millionaire vaccine shipments to several Latin American countries and Argentina, despite its complicated health situation, was excluded from the agreement because it did not have the appropriate regulatory framework. The three brands offered by the United States – Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson – do not have contracts in our country. Although Pfizer has the green light from ANMAT, Moderna and J&J have not received clearance from the health agency.

Washington had announced the donation of more than 13 million vaccines for the region. Some by the mechanism Covax (distribution body governed by WHO) and others directly, for countries that urgent need. Management has been put forward in several countries, but for Argentina neither the amount nor the dates on which the donation could be made have been announced.

US health authorities had warned that each country it should have a necessary regulatory and legal framework being able to distribute vaccines and Argentina still offered nothing.

In recent weeks, the White House has set foot on the continent’s distribution accelerator. Mexico has already received 1.3 million from Johnson and Johnson, Canada one million from Moderna, Colombia 2.5 million from Moderna, Peru 2 million from Pfizer, Brazil 3 million from J&J, Paraguay one million from Pfizer , Ecuador two million and Uruguay 500,000. Argentina saw this opportunity to obtain millions of free doses pass.

Argentina was placed second on the White House’s direct donation list, then from Brazil. Those negotiating in Washington said it was a sign of our country’s priority and the number of doses they would receive. Brazil has received 3 million and sources following the matter have trusted that the negotiation speaks of a delivery of more than 2 million doses.

Our country had struggled to obtain them. Not only thanks to the feverish efforts of the ambassador Jorge Argüello in Washington, but also in Buenos Aires with the visit of Biden’s special advisor for the region, Juan González. The president of the Chamber of Deputies also insisted on the issue, Sergio massa, while he met various officials of this capital. The answer was always the same: without an appropriate legal framework, it was impossible.

For this reason, the leader of the Front Renovador has sought a way out through the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), which offers a legal instrument to overcome this obstacle: a kind of “indemnity insurance” so that countries can more easily negotiate. contracts. .with laboratories. It could have been a solution to avoid DNU and get out of the law in Congress.

But we see that this tool was not accepted. Perhaps the government was unwilling to accept any advantage from IDB President Mauricio Claver Carone, who took the helm of the organization by beating Argentinian Gustavo Béliz. He preferred the signing of a decree that could finally unblock the issue.

Washington, correspondent.