Even though the
Ministry of Health (Minsa) is negotiating the purchase of millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses with more than 20 laboratories around the world, on Monday it announced that deals with three laboratories are well advanced and some agreements will be signed in the coming days.
"We have reached the final stage of negotiations with at least three laboratories. We are negotiating prices and agreements on logistical aspects, the way the vaccine would be brought, and the delivery schedule,"
Deputy Public Health Minister Luis Suarez told Andina news agency.
He explained that there are a few things that need to be agreed on and that lawyers from Minsa and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are already drafting the final agreements with these companies.
"The contracts of the final stage are being reviewed. So, I can say the negotiations are well advanced. We are making adjustments on various aspects such as the place where the aircraft will land, if we have to pick the vaccine up, if laboratories will bring them to the country. These are aspects of the final stage," the government official explained.
According to Suarez, the ministry is making the utmost efforts to get some batches of the vaccine as soon as possible, which would be administered to front-line staff first, such as healthcare workers and police members, and then to the vulnerable population.
First quarter
"Confidentiality agreements have been signed with 12 of these 20 laboratories, to receive as much information as possible (about them), which cannot be revealed as it constitutes trade secrets," he added.
He went on to say that the country had received a proposal from a laboratory, which was well advanced and secured the delivery of some doses in December, but the agreement was not completed due to the nature of the negotiation process itself.
"Various contracts are going to be signed in the coming days, and we are going to have a vaccine in the first quarter, but we hope to have it as soon as possible. I can attest to the hard work put into this so as to have safe and effective vaccines that really protect," the Minsa's official pointed out.
(END) KGR/RMB
Published: 12/28/2020