South Africa will have to buy doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine at a price almost 2.5 times higher than most European countries, the country’s health ministry said.
The African continent’s worst virus – infested country has ordered at least 1.5 million shots of the vaccine from the Serum Institute of India (SII), which is expected in January and February.
A senior health official told AFP on Thursday that the doses would cost $ 5.25 (€ 4.32) each – almost two and a half times the amount most European countries pay.
According to information leaked by a Belgian minister on Twitter, members of the European Union will pay $ 2.16 (€ 1.78) for AstraZeneca’s shots.
AstraZeneca France told AFP in November that shots of € 2.50 (about $ 3) per dose would be limited “to provide vaccines to the widest population, with as fair access as possible”.
It did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the price from the Ministry of Health.
To date, South Africa has recorded more than 1.3 million cases of coronavirus and 38,800 deaths.
South Africa’s Deputy Director-General of Health Anban Pillay said by text message:
“The National Department of Health confirms that the $ 5.25 price is the price we quoted.”
Pillay told the local Business Day newspaper the higher price is because other countries have contributed to research and development.
‘The explanation we have given why other high-income countries have a lower price is that they have invested in the investment [research and development], hence the discount on the price, ”Pillay said.
About 2000 South Africans participated in clinical trials for the vaccine in 2020.
Bilateral transactions between wealthy governments and coronavirus vaccine makers have raised concerns about price increases and lack of supply for low- and middle-income countries.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned against ‘vaccine nationalism’ and ‘pricing’.
South Africa’s AstraZeneca vaccine order is part of the 20 million safe doses to be delivered in the first half of 2021.
The WTO-backed Covax facility is expected to deliver shots to 10% of the population between April and June.
Other vaccines will be provided via the African Union and bilateral contracts with suppliers that have not yet been announced.
The SII would also deliver 100 million doses to the African Union for $ 3 each, Reuters reported.
Opposition groups have criticized South Africa’s vaccination strategy. “Reports today indicate that … the government will have to spend twice as much as other countries pay for their vaccines,” said the main opposition party of the Democratic Alliance, blaming poor planning and delayed negotiations.
The trade union Solidarity and the prominent rights group Afriforum have jointly announced plans to start a legal battle against the government for lack of transparency. “The non-disclosure of information by the government is further proof why it can not be trusted with a monopoly regarding the purchase and distribution of Covid-19 vaccines,” Afriforum said.
South Africa is struggling with a second wave of infections fueled by a new coronavirus variant considered by scientists to be more contagious.
The government aims to vaccinate two-thirds of its population – about 40 million out of nearly 60 million people – to secure herd immunity by the end of 2021.