04/15/2021 2:25 PM
Clarín.com
Society
Updated 04/15/2021 2:32 PM
The government of San Juan confirmed that it has
very advanced
negotiations
with two laboratories and this Friday could make a major purchase of vaccines against the coronavirus:
1.6 million doses
.
"We are talking about no less than
a million and a half doses
with an investment of between 50 and 60 million dollars," confirmed the provincial governor himself, Sergio Uñac in an interview published by
El Diario de Cuyo
.
However - and although the amount of the contracts was not made official - there was a difference with respect to the figures given by Uñac.
In the interview, he said that each dose is worth about
$ 10
, so the San Juan Executive should actually invest
about $ 16 million.
One million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine is what would reach San Juan.
Photo: AFP
The provincial leader acknowledged that he has been "working piecemeal" on the issue and that the operation with the signing of the respective contracts could be closed "this Friday."
San Juan sources confirmed that
one million doses
will be purchased from the
AstraZeneca
laboratory
, and
600 thousand
doses will be purchased from
Covishield
, the laboratory in India that produces the vaccine with the collaboration of the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca.
"There are important conversations and we are taking care of all the necessary steps," said Uñac-. We were able to move forward with the purchase thanks to the
private contribution
of several people, "confirmed the governor from Cuyo.
Uñac negotiates for the arrival of the Covishield vaccine.
Photo: AP
For the vaccine to have its maximum protection potential, two doses must be applied.
In other words, the San Juan purchase would cover the inoculation of 800 thousand people.
It is more than the population of the province.
From what the governor explained, the
excess dose
, taking into account that there are already many people inoculated,
will be sold to other provinces.
There are two northern provinces that advanced with the San Juan people on the issue, although which ones were not disclosed.
If the acquisition is completed this Friday,
San Juan could become the spearhead
for being the first province to sign contracts for the purchase of vaccines.
The San Juan negotiation with Covishield comes after the meeting that the Minister of National Health Carla Vizzotti held this Wednesday with the Indian ambassador, Dinesh Bathia, from whom he claimed a shipment withheld for the country of
580 thousand doses
.
During January, the San Juan president had clarified that the province had sufficient funds to go out and buy the necessary vaccines.
But,
the authorization of the national government was lacking
.
The possible purchase of vaccines against Covid-19 in San Juan advanced after the Chief of Staff, Santiago Cafiero, gave the green light in an announcement on April 7, when he said that "both the provinces and the Government of the City of Buenos Aires could buy vaccines on their own. "
DD
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