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“Vaccines that are already in a personal health care facility can no longer be exported: recipient countries will not accept them,” said Anželika Oraitė, head of the Division of Pharmaceutical Policy of the Ministry of Health (SAM).
She said this in preparation for Lithuania to donate coronavirus vaccines to the Eastern Partnership countries, Taiwan.
According to A. Oraitė, only institutions with a wholesale distribution license have the right to export vaccines: the Sanitary Emergency Center or a manufacturer that sells its own vaccines.
“The legal route for vaccines must be guaranteed: wholesale distribution of the drug,” said a SAM spokeswoman.
A. Oraitė stated that when the vaccines expire, the objective is to redistribute them within the country, transferring them to the institutions where the vaccines are actually used. The problem is due to the late notification of the imminent expiration of vaccines.
We are also talking with the municipalities that this information should not be one day in advance, nor two or three days in advance, that the vaccines will expire in a week. We need that communication, then we can analyze the redistribution possibilities in Lithuania, ”he said.
For adjustment: about two months.
Transferring a vaccine to a third party requires two agreements: a bilateral agreement between the parties and a tripartite agreement with the manufacturer. The templates produced by the manufacturer must be reviewed by the responsible authorities of both countries, obtained by the governments, then notified to the European Commission and approved by the manufacturer for the transfer of the vaccine.
“Actually, it can take up to two months from signature to delivery,” said a SAM spokeswoman.
According to him, the necessary consent of the manufacturer and the Commission is provided so that they can know to which countries the vaccine travels.
“Lithuania did not buy the vaccines themselves, the European Commission bought them on behalf of the Member States. This is every step now associated with reselling or donating a vaccine, where the vaccines travel,” said A. Oraitė.
According to her, the European Commission has coordinated donation vaccine templates with only one of its approved manufacturers in the European Union: AstraZeneca. This means that only these vaccines can be donated at the moment, otherwise the state would violate contracts with the manufacturers.
SAM has also requested a donation of the Pfizer vaccine, but the European Commission is still negotiating donations with the company. This is expected to be done as soon as possible, but no specific dates are announced.
“There are no recommendations on how that donation could be, nor on the drafts of those contracts,” said A. Oraitė.
In the absence of these design contracts, it is also not possible to obtain manufacturer approval to transport the vaccine.
No need for the EU
According to SAM, the process within the European Union is simpler: the European Commission has a platform for vaccine transactions between countries of the Community. However, the possibility of repurchasing vaccines that are not currently available but are planned for future production is generally discussed there.
“Now there is no such loan or need,” he said.
Mr Oraitė said that there were more frequent agreements between member states on future vaccines, that a shipment of vaccines from one country would be allocated to another, as this would avoid the costs of transporting the vaccines.
Lithuania plans to allocate 200 thousand. doses of coronavirus vaccines for Eastern Partnership countries. 100,000 doses of vaccine planned for Ukraine, 11 thousand. – Moldova, 15 thousand. – Sakartvelui. Another 20 thousand. AstraZeneca dosing is scheduled for Taiwan.
According to A. Oraitė, representatives of Sakartvelas should arrive in Lithuania on Friday to deliver them the vaccines donated by Lithuania.
“It is expected that this Friday, if everything goes well, they will come to Lithuania and take out the vaccines,” said a SAM representative.
This country, the only one of the Eastern Partnership countries, has provided the opportunity to come and take the vaccine. Currently, the ministry is finalizing purchases for shipments of the donated vaccine to Ukraine and Taiwan, so shipments to these countries are expected to leave in the second half of next week. Transfer agreements with Moldova are still being negotiated.
In total, Lithuania has received 3 million. 338,755 doses of vaccine, of which 2 million were used. 421 thousand 815 doses.
Currently unused more than 916 thousand. vaccine dose.
