Covid vaccines: the Government, about to close an agreement with China for a million doses of Sinopharm

Natasha Niebieskikwiat

01/04/2021 11:07

• Clarín.com

• Politics

Updated 01/04/2021 11:09

The national government has almost closed an agreement with China through the Ministry of Health for the purchase of one million vaccines against the coronavirus from the state company Sinopharm.

This million is part of the

package of 30 million in total that the Alberto Fernández administration wants to buy from that country. 

As

Clarín

learned

, this first million could be arriving in the second half of January.

This batch

is added to the 300,000 that have already been received from the Russian Sputnik V vaccine

and which began to be applied last week, especially to health personnel, and to a few risk groups.

At the same time, the ANMAT approved the use of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine from which it seeks to obtain 22 million doses, while negotiating with other companies and the controversy with Pfizer remains unresolved, with which no agreement could be reached. 

The news also coincides with the letter that the president of China,

Xi Jinping

, sent to

Alberto Fernández

in which he recalls that he seeks to promote commercial cooperation.

The image of Chinese President Xi Jinping, with a chinstrap, during an exhibition on the pandemic.

Photo Reuters.

Although there is no mention of the agreement by Sinopharm, the Chinese president said that his country is ready

to strengthen cooperation

with Argentina in the research, development and application of vaccines against COVID-19, and will continue to offer the South American country support and aid. within its capacity in the fight against pandemics.

This week, the Argentine government is also going to ask for the placet of style for the new ambassador there, Sabino Vaca Narvaja, a political leader who will replace

Luis María Kreckler

, a career diplomat and abruptly displaced.

Regarding the health situation, the Chinese authorities have granted

conditional approval

for the general public use of the Sinopharm vaccine.

It was last week, after the state-owned company provided interim data showing that its leading vaccine has a

79% efficacy rate

in phase three trials.

There were no further details.

There are other vaccines made in China that are already in use in China after receiving emergency licenses.

In fact,

Argentina also hopes to obtain vaccines from Sinovac

, which is from a private Chinese firm, through a laboratory in São Paulo, negotiations in which Foreign Minister

Felipe Solá

also participated

.