Unexplained vaccine delays: after Pfizer’s presentation, no other lab visited MPs and opposition demands responses from Russia and China

The last one to do so was Marcelo Figueiras, president of the laboratories of Richmond, who, under the eyes of the deputies present, explained the scope of the agreement which his company had just concluded with the Russian Fund of direct investment to condition Sputnik V in Argentina. A few minutes earlier, the CEO of Pfizer Nicolas vaquer He had denied that Casa Rosada asked him for bribes to repair the deal that was finally signed in August 2021.

These two presentations were the only ones and the last to take place in the Chamber of Deputies. Sergio massa He had convened them within the framework of a series of meetings which would aim to explain the scope of the various contracts signed by the Ministry of Health of the Nation and would allow the lawmakers of the opposition to control the sums paid and the amounts paid. delivery delay. Almost three months after these presentations, on June 8, there is no certainty about the degree of liability that would occur AstraZeneca and COVAX Responses from the Russian Investment Fund for Sputnik V or the Sinopharm laboratory have not arrived either. Both warned they would not appear before Congress and respond to written inquiries. None of this has happened so far.

“We do not have details of future presentations or answers to our questions sent to Russia and China, it is a worrying situation “, he says TN.com.ar Claudia Najul, national deputy of the UCR. Close to the head of the Chamber of Deputies, they replied to this media that “there will be no news in the short term”.

After the letter from the presidential adviser became known Cecilia Nicolini to the director of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Anatoly Braverman in which the official expresses her concern about the lack of second doses of Sputnik V and threatens to publicly cancel the contract if the shipments are not regularized, the opposition has asked that this and the Minister of Health of the Nation Carla Vizzotti are presented to Congress to provide details in this regard. It is in this same order that the legislators insisted with the exposures of the laboratories.

For the time being there are no dates for AstraZeneca executives to attend -which is under investigation for alleged breach of contract- nor the representatives of the COVAX mechanism. Questionnaires to Limited Liability for Human Vaccines (Rusie) and Sinopharm International Hongkong Limited They were sent on June 14 by the Russian and Chinese embassies, respectively, but none have received a response. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working on the issue,” they told this outlet.

One of the questions that was particularly highlighted in the questionnaire sent to the Russian authorities is based on the delivery schedule for second doses, at a time when millions of people in Argentina are waiting to complete their vaccination schedule with this serum. Lawmakers agree that the leak of this letter will further delay the response of Russian authorities.

For various reasons, since Massa’s trip to the United States, the legislative agenda itself, Santiago Cafiero’s management report and then the campaign for PASO itself, the laboratories’ presence in Congress has been delayed. In addition, last June, the unsuccessful search of the AstraZeneca office ordered by the federal prosecutor Guillermo Marijuán aroused the unease of the leaders of this company who qualified the procedure of “disconcerting”, according to a statement (official statement) accessible through this medium. The question spoiled the climate in the lower house.

AstraZeneca’s is one of the most anticipated presentations, as this company is under investigation for possible breach of contract. The company said it could deliver more than 22 million doses by July, of which 9,941,100 have arrived to date, ie less than 50% of the agreement. He then presented a second delivery schedule indicating that all doses would be delivered gradually until November. The information was collected by TN.com.ar based on official sources.

The opposition wants to investigate why the contract with which millions of people could have been vaccinated in March, April and May was broken. The first doses of this agreement arrived in the country at the end of May.

The termination of the contract by AstraZeneca will be the central axis of the “questionnaire” of the representatives of the opposition. The 22 million doses were due to arrive in July. Not only will the opposition focus on this issue. Representatives of the The ruling party will also investigate why the company missed the preliminary schedule. In addition, this medium was able to know that he will consult on the transfer of technology. The active principle of this serum is produced in Argentina, in the mAbxience laboratory, from Hugo sigman, which is then sent to Mexico for packaging.

Consulted by this means, from AstraZeneca they replied that they had not yet received the summons but that once this happens, they will appear before the authorities. They also claimed that the laboratory is working to comply with the delivery of the agreed doses.

COVAX is also joining the list of laboratories and organizations that must provide explanations to Congress. It is the mechanism which seeks to distribute vaccines equitably among the countries which compose it. This entity was involved in a controversy after its director Santiago Cornejo assured that the country had refused to receive vaccines from Pfizer. The government denied it, assured that it could not choose the doses but a document to which it was committed TN.com.ar shows that Casa Rosada was initially inclined to AstraZeneca serums.

So far, the country has received 1,944,000 via COVAX, while the contract is for 9 million doses. An important member of the Health portfolio consulted by TN.com.ar ranting against this agreement. “We lack COVAX, but the truth is, we are not sure of anything. The Covax thing is a shame“, launches. The sentence of the official is not minor. It is that the country has already paid more than 31 million dollars in advance to this mechanism. A few weeks ago, the Minister Carla Vizzotti was responsible for specifying that “no contract will be terminated.” Some of its officials do not say the same inside.