[UPDATED] Deyalsingh: Commercial agreements for covid19 vaccines closer

Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh . Photo by Marvin Hamilton
Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh . Photo by Marvin Hamilton

HEALTH Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said Government is working towards a commercial sales agreement with Pfizer to acquire doses of its covid19 vaccines for the population.

He made the disclosure at his ministry's virtual health news conference on Monday.

Reiterating that government had signed a non-disclosure agreement with Chinese vaccine manufacturer Sinopharm, Deyalsingh said people criticising the Government over this will not say that Government has signed a similar agreement with Pfizer.

“A non-disclosure agreement is not because government has something to hide. It is a pre-cursor to heads of terms agreements and sales contracts. These agreements are standard where the product is something new and the companies don’t want details about patent rights, formulation, pricing, and quantity to be released, in order to protect their intellectual property rights. The agreement bars TT from disclosing this information.”

He also reiterated that at this time, no vaccine manufacturer is speaking to any private-sector entity about acquiring covid19 vaccines.

Deyalsingh said on April 29, Pfizer said it would be sending a heads of terms of agreement, and this will be a precursor towards the establishment of a commercial sales agreement, detailing quantity and price of doses of its vaccine for TT.

He explained the same process is happening with respect to Sinopharm, and a non-disclosure agreement had been signed with the manufacturer in Beijing in March 2021.

But he warned, "There are those who wish to derail the vaccine programme. I hope for those who want to do what they can to muddy the waters with Pfizer, that their discussions are based in fact. No other country in the Caribbean has this level of bacchanal when it comes to vaccine acquisition. Other opposition parties have put aside their political differences when it comes to this issue."

He cautioned people against saying anything in public that could derail efforts to acquire vaccines from Sinopharm and Pfizer.

Recalling that through diplomatic efforts, the Prime Minister was able to secure 40,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine and 100,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine, from India and China respectively, Deyalsingh said Government is getting closer daily towards commercial sales agreements with Sinopharm and Pfizer to acquire vaccines from both.

Deyalsingh gave the dates at which the current batches of vaccines in TT would expire. He said the first doses from the Serum Institute of India would expire on July 18 and the second tranche in August.

Vaccination with the second round of AstraZeneca vaccines would begin on June 6, he said, with the SII vaccines being used first, then the second batch of Covax vaccines.

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"[UPDATED] Deyalsingh: Commercial agreements for covid19 vaccines closer"

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