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Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE offered to supply South Africa with its Covid-19 vaccine at a discount of $ 10 per dose, but the president’s office still described the cost as prohibitive, according to a person familiar with the talks.
The price was calculated according to South Africa’s status as a middle-income nation and is about half of what drug companies charge in the United States, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the information has not been made public. The fact that companies are conducting a vaccine trial in the country was also taken into account, the person said.
A spokeswoman for the South African Department of Health said the ministry cannot comment on prices as a deal has yet to be struck. Representatives for Pfizer and BioNTech in Europe declined to comment on the ongoing talks, although they said they are “firmly committed to equitable and affordable access to Covid-19 vaccines for people around the world, including South Africa.”
The South African government is coming under increasing pressure from its union allies, opposition parties and medical professionals for its failure to secure bilateral vaccine supply agreements with pharmaceutical companies.
While at least 29 countries have already started inoculating their populations, South Africa only hopes to begin receiving vaccines for about 10% of its population in the second quarter. That agreement has been made through the Covax initiative, which is designed to ensure that the poorest countries can ensure access.
The country has had 1.1 million confirmed cases of Covid-19 and is approaching 30,000 deaths, the most of any African nation.
In a statement sent to Bloomberg News on Sunday, the South African presidency said that Pfizer was one of at least three companies with which the government is negotiating for the supply of injections. He also said that Pfizer has offered 50 million doses for health workers in Africa that could arrive between March and the end of the year.
“Factors that will be considered include suitability for the South African context,” said the chair, noting that the Pfizer vaccine requires ultra-cold storage. “The cost is also prohibitive.”
Tyrone Seale, acting spokesman for President Cyril Ramaphosa, declined to comment further.
Read: Scientists Urgently Testing Vaccines Effective On South African Variant Of Covid-19 – Report
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