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In the midst of the global race for the development and purchase of vaccines for covid-19, the Congress of the Republic put the accelerator on the so-called vaccine law, which brings key mechanisms to facilitate access to the vaccine, the only solution long-term for the virus.
The project, which received an urgent message from President Iván Duque, has already been approved in its first two debates and there are only two more debates left to become law: one the Plenary of the Senate and one in the plenary session of the House of Representatives. These last two discussions would take place this week, indicating that no later than 8 or 15 days it would be sent for presidential sanction.
(See also: Those that lead in the race of vaccines against covid-19)
However, this initiative, which is a priority for the country, arose a controversy that could torpedo its process if an agreement is not reached in the House Plenary. Initially, the bill, authored by congressman Ricardo Ferro, established that the vaccine should be free for the entire population.
But as EL TIEMPO was able to verify when accessing the text that will be discussed in the plenary sessions of the Senate and the Chamber, the rule was modified and now a paragraph has been included that indicates that strata 5 and 6 would have to pay for the vaccine.
“Strata 5 and 6 will be exempt from being free, except for those who belong to health personnel, adults over 60 years of age and people with comorbidities,” says the paragraph of article 9 of the project.
The goal of immunization requires vaccinating as many Colombians as possible
This modification was rejected by the Ministry of Health, which argues that “historically universal vaccination has been contemplated for the entire population of Colombia; in some cases prioritizing sectors, but never stratifying. A provision that stratifies the cost could contemplate defects of constitutionality as it would potentially violate the principle of equality in access to health ”.
Additionally, the Health portfolio argues that “the objective of immunization requires vaccinating as many Colombians as possible.” This is due to the fact that if a population group does not have the incentives to be vaccinated, it could not access immunization, which would affect other Colombians.
The idea of this paragraph, which was proposed, among others, by senators Efraín Cepeda, María del Rosario Guerra, Gustavo Bolívar and Rodrigo Villalba, is to “alleviate the finances” of the State, as it is understood that the highest strata have the resources to purchase vaccines on your own.
This also contradicts the initial intention of the author of the project, Congressman Ferro, who assured a few weeks ago that the idea is that “all Colombians can get vaccinations for free.”
Several congressmen have already proposed that they will present a proposal to eliminate this provision for the next debate, since the initiative still has two debates left. I mean, it’s halfway there.
Project benefits
Beyond the discussion on gratuity, this bill resolves many of the concerns of Colombians regarding access to the vaccine, since it will enable the National Government to establish strategic alliances and allocate health resources in experimental vaccines against Covid- 19, or any other pandemic that may arise in the future.
The initiative allows the private sector to deduct taxes if they contribute resources to the National Risk Management Fund, which is the exchange created by the State for emergency mitigation, such as the purchase of vaccines and other activities focused on achieving immunization in the national territory against this pandemic.
(You may also be interested in: They put an accelerator in a project that allows free access to covid vaccine)
The idea is that companies that file income tax are exempted from paying 50 percent of this tax if they contribute resources that allow the purchase of vaccines.
“With this law we are going to guarantee that public resources can be allocated to the acquisition of the vaccine, but we will also guarantee that businessmen they can be added to what can be called a great ‘cow’, where there will be public resources and private resources for the massive purchase of vaccine ”, assured the representative Ferro.
The urgent message sent by the Government requires that the process by Congress be completed in a maximum time of thirty days, with which it is expected that the project will be approved before December.
POLITICS
