Argentina is considering changes to local vaccine regulations that would allow the entry of mRNA shots, a move that would enable it to receive doses from U.S. producers as the Biden administration steps up donations.
President Alberto Fernandez’s cabinet chief said Thursday evening that the government is evaluating whether they can resolve technical issues that have prevented deals with labs including Pfizer Inc. Local media reported that Fernandez is preparing a decree that would allow entry to vaccines donated by the U.S. government.
“What we’re evaluating and the president has been specifically involved in is whether there exists a regulatory difficulty that he can resolve,” Cabinet Chief Santiago Cafiero said in an interview with local TV. Some labs “require different regulations and because of that, the president is looking at how to resolve it in a different way and advance with those contracts.”
READ: Argentina President Cancels Trip to France, Cites Covid-19 Surge
Signs of progress in the negotiations come at a dire moment for Argentina, which is edging closer to 100,000 deaths and ranks among the top 15 worldwide in deaths per million. Unable to broker agreements with U.S. vaccine manufacturers, Argentina has relied on a mix of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine, China’s Sinopharm shot and AstraZeneca.
The government has kept strict lockdown measures in place as cases and deaths mount, most recently limiting the entry of travelers from international flights to just 600 people per day. Fernandez has prioritized getting citizens their first dose over ensuring they are fully vaccinated. About 38% of Argentines have received one dose, while only 9% have two doses, according to Bloomberg’s vaccine tracker.
The U.S. has stepped up vaccine donations in Latin America this week and announced it would donate to Argentina too. Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Ecuador have received U.S. donations of either Johnson & Johnson or Pfizer.
The government is also in talks with the World Bank to receive financial support for the purchase of more vaccines. Earlier this week, representatives from the multilateral lender and vaccine producer Moderna met with government officials to discuss legal contracts for the possible supply of its vaccine.
Neither the Moderna or the Johnson & Johnson vaccines are yet approved in Argentina for emergency use.
READ: Argentina Reports 21,177 New Covid-19 Cases, 469 Deaths
Negotiation Snags
Fernandez’s government has been at odds with Pfizer for several months over an indemnity clause in a law the government passed last year. His former health minister called Pfizer’s demands “unacceptable,” in December, without detailing the exact issue. Leaders of Argentina’s opposition party have heaped criticism for not striking a deal with U.S. producers before the country’s worst wave of Covid cases arrived in April.
The existing legal framework to purchase vaccines, which was voted on by congress in November, was approved even before vaccines were authorized, and the lessons of the past few months give the government “the authority to now weigh whether the current framework needs to be modified,” Cafiero said in the Thursday interview. “The president will make the decision with the need for more vaccines at the top of his mind.”
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Argentina Weighs Rule Change to Pave Way for mRNA Vaccine Entry - Bloomberg
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