11:58 21.01.2021

Stepanov urges politicians not to speculate on price of COVID-19 vaccines

2 min read
Stepanov urges politicians not to speculate on price of COVID-19 vaccines

Ukrainian Minister of Health Maksym Stepanov urged politicians not to speculate on the price of vaccines against coronavirus (COVID-19) and on the subject of vaccination.

"It is very important that all politicians and public figures are aware of the responsibility of their actions and statements and understand the likelihood of consequences, primarily for the image of the state. It is a shame when people undertake to comment on a topic that, to put it mildly, they have a superficial knowledge of that," he told Interfax-Ukraine, commenting on the statement of MP Oleksandra Ustynova about the overstatement of the purchase price of the Chinese vaccine against COVID-19 from the Sinovac company.

The minister said that $3 is the cost of COVID-19 vaccine produced by the Serum Institute Indian company for purchases under the COVAX mechanism, and this price is not used for commercial purchases.

"The Serum Institute is one of the largest manufacturing platforms in India, which, among other things, is contracted by global manufacturers for the manufacture of their vaccines. As for the cost of vaccines, $3 is the price at which the COVAX mechanism, the global fund for access to COVID-19 vaccines, buys the vaccine. All vaccine manufacturers who have joined this mechanism sell them the vaccine at minimal or even prime cost. Therefore, in my opinion, it is simply pointless to compare this cost with the commercial price," he said.

Stepanov said the price at which Ukraine buys vaccines from the Sinovac company is the same for most countries of the world.

At the same time, he noted a significant spread in prices for vaccines against COVID-19 in the world market.

"Let us take two top global manufacturers of vaccines against coronavirus disease. Real numbers are as follows: one manufacturer has a price for a COVID-19 vaccine of about $6 per dose, another has about $30. Price offers are different. One manufacturer has a fixed price of $9, the other the price depends on the number of doses ordered, from $12 to $40. This is a market in which the conditions are dictated by the manufacturer. All countries of the world and more than 7 billion people are queuing up for the vaccine," he said.

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