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Víctor Muñoz, director of the Administrative Department of the Presidency (Dapre), is part of the government team that has been in talks with some economic unions about the possibility that they buy and apply vaccines against covid-19
The official explained that in two weeks the Ministry of Health must issue the resolution that will open the door to carry out negotiations by private entities and vaccine manufacturers.
(In context: This is how the private sector would participate in the National Vaccination Plan)
Muñoz stressed that it is estimated that these negotiation processes for vaccines with laboratories take weeks, and according to market availability information, this is something that could happen in June or July, which will coincide with phase 2, stage 4, of the National Vaccination Plan.
How are the dialogues with the private sectors about the covid-19 vaccine going?
On March 17, a working table was held between the National Government and the private sector. For the Government was the director of the Administrative Department of the Presidency of the Republic, Víctor Muñoz; the Minister of Health, Fernando Ruiz, and the director of Invima, Julio Aldana. On the part of the private sector, Andi, the Trade Union Council (Confecamaras – Acopi – Camacol), Amcham, Asocajas, Fasecolda, Fenalco, ACHC, Acemi, Asobancaria, SAC, Proantioquia, Probarranquilla, ProBogotá and Propacífico were invited.
What are the basic agreements that were reached with businessmen on the subject of vaccination?
At this meeting, the proposals presented as a complement to the National Vaccination Plan by the private sector were announced.
A group of businessmen is interested in supporting the Government on issues associated with logistics capacity, vaccinators, and vaccination sites, among others. For this purpose, it was agreed to create a technical table that defines the conditions that would allow private individuals to be part of the vaccination network deployed by the National Government, as a complement to the network that is already available. In the month of April the arrival of 8 million vaccines is estimated, with which it will be vaccinating at levels higher than 150,000 doses per day.
The second point that was defined was a work table to study the possibility of the acquisition of vaccines by the private sector. This process will be carried out under the limits established by the National Vaccination Plan and the biologicals that are acquired must be those that today have the approval of Invima for emergency use, which to date are Sinovac, Pfizer, and Astrazeneca. The purchase can only be made for the purpose of vaccinating employees and their families.
The Government insists that the private sector will be the ones who will have to evaluate the risks and requirements of the pharmaceutical companies when signing these contracts, conditions that will appear during the negotiation. It is clear that they must agree on the dates and conditions of sale, dates of distribution, logistical conditions, and conditions of indemnity and insurance against the purchase.
Finally, the Ministry of Health in two weeks will issue the resolution that will open the possibility of carrying out negotiations by private entities and vaccine manufacturers. All this stipulated within the actions of the National Vaccination Plan.
Víctor Manuel Muñoz, director of the Administrative Department of the Presidency (Dapre).
(We suggest: The country managed to apply close to a million vaccines in less than a month)
Does that mean that one possibility is that they receive vaccines from the government to vaccinate their employees, but is the door also open for them to negotiate directly with the vaccine producers?
It does not mean that, by respecting the stages of the Vaccination Plan, private parties can help in spaces such as coliseums, event centers, with logistics and even transport to generate greater capacities that allow increasing the speed in stage 2 that begins.
The door is opened for a negotiation phase with pharmaceutical companies, taking into account that this can only be done on vaccines that have been approved by Invima and that in any case, private companies will be the ones who must resolve the issues associated with logistics capacity, transportation, cold network and conditions associated with indemnity and liability for possible adverse effects of said vaccines.
According to market availability information, this is something that could happen in the month of June or July, which will coincide with phase 2, stage 4, of the National Vaccination Plan
And what are the concerns that the Government has around this possibility?
The Government precisely announced the creation of these technical tables so that technical questions and doubts are resolved in them, taking into account that the plan must be complementary to the National Vaccination Plan, and that at no time is it being sought generate competition in resources.
The Government recognizes and values all the efforts made by the private sector during the pandemic, to support and manage campaigns such as the provision of ventilators, the campaign to help does us good, and now their interest in being part of mass vaccination.
But are pharmaceutical companies already selling vaccines to private companies?
In the conversations we have had with pharmaceutical companies, we have been informed that for now they only keep selling to governments and in large volumes. Even that in the current negotiations they only contemplate deliveries for the second semester of the year 2021, since the productions of the first semester are compromised.
However, as has been mentioned on several occasions, this is a changing environment and at some point it will go from a market of scarcity to a market in equilibrium.
In that order of ideas, when could the private sector be vaccinating?
In two weeks there will be a resolution that enables the negotiation of private parties to purchase vaccines against covid, it is estimated that these negotiation processes take weeks, and according to market availability information, this is something that could happen in the month June or July, which will coincide with phase 2, stage 4, of the National Vaccination Plan.
(In other news: ‘Vice’ rejects proposal to extend Duque and congressmen’s term)
It would only allow negotiation and purchase of vaccines for its employees and their families, and that in no case are we in the sale phase.
But is the idea that companies bring only for their employees or does it also open the possibility that they can sell to the general public?
Among the participating unions and the National Government we are clear that at that time we are in the phase that would only allow negotiation and purchase of vaccines for their employees and their families, and that in no case are we in the phase for sale.
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