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The President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, received this morning at the Baabda Palace the Minister of Public Health Hamad Hassan,
The President of the Republic granted the Minister of Health permission to negotiate the procurement of the Pfizer Hassan vaccine: Form a committee to ensure that it reaches the approved vaccination centers effectively and fairly.
Who thanked President Aoun for giving the ministry permission to negotiate with the company “Pfizer” to ensure its vaccine against the “Corona” epidemic, and provide the necessary directions to conclude an agreement with the aforementioned company to achieve this end.
Minister Hassan indicated during the meeting, which was attended by the adviser to the President of the Republic, former Minister Salim Jreissati, the adviser for medical affairs to President Aoun, Dr. Walid Khoury, and the director general of the Presidency of the Republic, Dr. Antoine Choucair, that a committee has been formed to ensure that the vaccine reaches the approved vaccination centers efficiently and fairly. “There will be transparency and security, military and social support to really achieve the objectives for which we are sacrificing ourselves in this difficult time.”
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After the meeting, Minister Hassan made the following statement to journalists: “It is one of the supervisory, responsible and wise stations that we achieved today, under the direction and support of His Excellency the President of the Republic, through permission to negotiate with the company, “Pfizer” directly, to achieve the vaccine as quickly as possible and at the same time secure all financial and material funds. To conclude the agreement as soon as possible as well. Despite all the challenges and interpretations, and despite everything that is marketed in the media against the vaccine, against the government or against the pact, we say that what we are achieving today is a response with actions and not with words, because the health authority, with the support of His Excellency the President of the Republic, and a state The Prime Minister has made the appropriate decision to cover the Lebanese community with the only vaccine “Pfizer” available so far, which has received all exceptions and approvals from international medical organizations.
And he added: “The government adopted this decision, despite the dark and difficult conditions in which we live, with the aim of achieving social immunity, starting in mid-February, God willing, and we know all the economic challenges, life and social, and we know that the life and economic cycle cannot be recovered without We ensure it in a healthy way. Therefore, the most important positive responsibilities fulfilled today is to provide this vaccine. And as we promised, the Lebanese state will secure it fairly and free of charge for target classes and groups in accordance with international medical standards, with Lebanese privacy. Anything raised through social media is not We should worry about me as a civil society, because it is known in Lebanon that knows the policy of “knowing how to contradict”, and we must never lose the objective of all this effort and support to His Excellency the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister of the M Ministry of Health to protect people in these difficult circumstances.
He continued: “Today we take the permission of His Excellency the President to negotiate the conclusion of the contract, and then we will take the observations of the Legislation and Consultation Commission on the possibility of introducing some modifications to the contract with the company” Pfizer “and conclude it at the Today we have in the Ministry of Public Health the National Center for “Al-Varamaco Surveillance.” “To register the possibility of limited secondary complications that are registered in some countries. I would like to point out that the adoption of the vaccine in the United States, Great Britain, Germany and some Arab countries gives more security to society and not the other way around. I would like to assure society that what the state does should not always be questionable. “Indeed, this step that we are taking today must be reliable because of what the state is doing towards civil society, and everything is based on scientific data. trustworthy and not as a result of some misinformation that unfortunately questions. What we do in these current circumstances is exceptionally forbidden to whip us. And for citizens to complain, since we must advance positively and with confidence and security, to build on it ” .
In response to a question, the Minister of Health explained: “The amount that was seized by ‘Pfizer’ is 15% of the number of residents on Lebanese soil, or about two million doses covering one million citizens. Previously We have contracted with the “Kovacs” platform to cover 20% of the community. The Lebanese, and we are talking about two million and 800 thousand vaccines. From here, with those who until now have ensured community immunity, gradual , who are infected and have acquired immunity, we are facing 15 to 17% and may reach 20% next spring, so we will be in a total of 50 and 60% of Lebanese society if the “Pfizer” vaccine and “Kovacs” is later assured, with the cumulative number of infections that have achieved community immunity, and we reached 50-60%.
Regarding the proposed amendments to the contract, Minister Hassan indicated that “what is required is a two-point amendment, since the contract is generalized and all countries adhere to it. As for us, we have two observations: Some countries have a law to protect companies that are licensed to use the vaccine in case of emergency, and this is not Available in Lebanon, so I need, as Minister of Public Health, to protect and support His Excellency the President of the Republic and the State of the Prime Minister, in the absence of an authentic government, and this is what happened today. Regarding the second point, it is that in a state of emergency, there may be some arbitration clauses. The company and the law from the Lebanese citizen, the Lebanese government, through the Ministry of Health, takes the power to be a guarantee for all parties ”.
Asked if we would go back to closing again after the holidays. He replied: “This is a question that the media is asking, and if we go back, we find that without it many complications and difficulties. Who makes this decision and the indicator of it is the behavior of society. We hope our society does. He is interested in the balance between health and the economy, and in the fusion of the two, so he likes life the way he likes health. “
He was asked about the new Corona strain in Lebanon, stating that “the data so far are from research centers, British or not, and confirm that the ‘Pfizer’ vaccine covers this new mutation, which means we are not in the framework of inspecting a second vaccine, in addition to So far, no more complications have been found than we know of. Today we had a question in the scientific committee in the morning if the rapid spread in the cases that were recently registered was related with the new wave, as it was found that this wave started from last September 13. Not only in Great Britain, but throughout Europe. We are obliged to adhere to preventive protection measures of the epidemic, which are capable of preventing the basic Corona pandemic and any new wave of it. “
On how to distribute the first batch of vaccines, Minister Hassan explained: “The National Committee for the Administration of the Corona Vaccine was formed – a special ‘Pfizer’, headed by Dr. Abdel-Rahman El-Bizri and the membership of all unions, societies and medical references, and the adviser to the President of the Republic and the adviser to the Prime Minister.Through this committee we aspire to establish a mechanism so that the vaccine reaches the approved vaccination centers in a fair manner, so that the poor, the needy and the rich can obtain it for free, if we emphasize the equity in the distribution and the guarantee of the quality and effectiveness of the vaccine, and that are between the basic plan and the standards established by the technical committee. All Lebanese say that there will be transparency and security, military and social support to really achieve the goals for which we are sacrificing ourselves at this difficult time. “
In addition, the President of the Republic received several greeting cards from various heads of state on the occasion of Christmas and New Year, in particular from the Syrian President, Dr. Bashar Al-Assad, and from the President of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Ivana Hardlikova.
President Aoun also received a series of congratulatory telegrams, in particular from the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, who hoped that “the people of today, especially the followers of monotheistic religions, can follow the path of transcendence and human perfection. drawing inspiration from the sublime teachings of God’s prophets and adhering to their approach, “expressing hope that leaders will contribute Countries, in light of their determination and joint efforts, must do more to emerge from crises.
The Patriarch of Antioch and the rest of the East congratulated the Melkite Roman Catholics and said in his telegram: “I loved repeating your glory and joining my prayers with your prayers and the prayer of the whole Church for Emmanuel to change the face of the world and transform humanity, making all people one family. “
