Pfizer and Sputnik, the symbols of malfeasance K with vaccines

Two episodes that have occurred in the past six days are indicative of malpractice in the health management of the government of Alberto Fernández. Last Thursday, a letter was known to the presidential adviser, Cecilia Nicolini, who claimed that Moscow the absence of sending the second doses of Sputnik V. In Argentina, nearly 7 million people are waiting for it. This Tuesday, the Minister of Health Carla Vizzotti announced that it was signed –after twelve months of rare lobbying- the agreement with the American laboratory Pfizer.

There will be 20 million doses arriving in the last months of the year. This statement from Nicolini revealed two things. The emergency that the vaccination campaign is going through, marked by slowness and the absence of second doses. Reinsurance, it is said around the world, to deal with the new wave represented by the Delta variant of COVID. Also unsuccessful bet on Moscow to mask the first failure with AstraZeneca (which makes the Oxford vaccine) and the ideological bias to agree with the mainstream American pharmaceutical industry.

The rapprochement with Vladimir Putin was an initiative of Cristina Fernández and Axel Kicillof. To which the president added as soon as he detected that the vaccine supply was in serious danger of being wrecked. The political seduction that This alleged geopolitical strategy exercised on Kirchnerism has prevented the Government from properly calibrating things. Russia is a military and energy power. With notable progress in the field of scientific research. These tools prompted Putin to engage in international competition with the United States, Europe and China for the manufacture and sale of vaccines.

Sputnik V was designed with two different platforms. Additoinal. Russia has devoted itself to the millionaire manufacture of the first doses to develop in the world (it is indeed in third place in the ranking, after Pfizer and Oxford) but filled its production capacity. It lacked structure to make the second dose and suffered an unexpected setback: India’s collapse by the pandemic. There, Moscow planned to complete the development of the SputniK V.

When the government noticed such a difficulty, it went looking for China. He made a deal for Sinopharm which, even with the typical bumps of an exceptional situation, managed to comply with the shipments in a timely manner. Beijing has no problem with its production capacity. For this reason, it is the power that it is. In another cable car, the greater or lesser effectiveness of the doses distributed on the planet can be debated.

Twelve months after the first Pfizer announcement (for which Argentina contributed 6,000 volunteers), Vizzotti closed the deal. Sans, as PRO incumbent Patricia Bullrich sarcastically tweeted, the delivery of the glaciers was necessary. It is clear that the delay, irresponsible in the midst of the pandemic, was due to the internal political push of the government and its coalition, the Frente de Todos.

The obstacles that lasted with the American laboratories were used by the opposition to martyr the government. The prevention of Pfizer was symbolic for a reason: it is the first vaccine to immunize minors who suffer from co-morbidities.

Kirchnerism was able to respond to this harassment with a story. This has never been corroborated on any plane. Former Minister Ginés Gonzalez Garcia was the first to say that Pfizer had “Misbehavior”. The president himself then confessed, heartbroken, that signing the deal would have meant a “Act of violence”. Incomprehensible. It sounded like the “sarasa” inadvertently made famous by the Minister of the Economy, Martín Guzmán.

The Frente de Todos has repeatedly blocked in Congress the amendment of the law on vaccines which prevented progress in the agreements with the American laboratories. In order not to please the opposition that promoted these changes, Alberto signed a DNU on July 2 which regulates the possibility of accessing Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. The water reached the neck.

The movement was reluctantly accepted by K. This DNU was validated by the Senate, in the absence of the vice-president. And the criticism of the official Mariano Recalde. It was even possible to listen to an unforgettable presentation by Máximo Kirchner in Diputados. Offended by the alleged lack of national “self-esteem” that would need the permission of international science to be encouraged to use vaccines. He was referring to Sputnik V. The MP seems to be easily confused with some of his readings.

“We see”

Argentina has received 3.5 million doses of Moderna that it would use to vaccinate under-18s with co-morbidities. It would be 900 thousand people. With the rest, he alternates between increasing the number of first doses or experimenting in addition to Sputnik V. The repeated “we see”. The vaccination campaign still does not show sufficient acceleration. Faced with the possibility of a third wave, there is – according to official data – a gap of 10 million between the vaccines received and those inoculated.

Argentina seems to be walking with the times that have changed. The second wave is decreasing, even with high standards. The daily deaths bring great tragedy to the 110 thousand victims. The third wave is said to be falling. But suddenly, almost all the restrictions seem to end.

Even the battle is gone (political, cultural and legal) between the city and Buenos Aires for education. Kicillof, the governor of the Province, has announced, like Horacio Rodríguez in the City, that after the winter holidays, face-to-face lessons will resume at all levels. In the case of Buenos Aires, in the 135 districts. There are no epidemiological statistics, at this time, that you can resist.

Did something suddenly change and no one noticed? Only one thing. Last weekend was the closing of the lists for the September STEP. The electoral campaign is in turmoil. This can be seen in the words of the political class. Is there a need for another explanation?