The Moldovan authorities’ decision to buy 400,000 doses of CoronaVac vaccine produced by the Chinese company Sinovac is not definitive. “The decision is not final. It was a decision as this was the only producer that submitted a bid. The others were intermediaries. So, at direct negotiations we will see the efficiency of the vaccine in detail as we have some questions and this does not mean that the vaccine was approved for being purchased,” Angela Paraschiv, head of the Epidemiology Department of the University of Medicine of Chisinau, who is a member of the group of doctors who are consulting the ministerial committee for vaccination campaign coordination, stated for RFE/RL’s Moldovan Service, being quoted by IPN.
Angela Paraschiv noted that when the committee last Friday announced that they decided to directly buy 400,000 doses of CoronaVac vaccine produced by Sinovac, they referred to an intermediary, not final stage as direct negotiations are yet to be held with the producer. “Only Sinovac has a real offer. Surely, we would like to also have other offers, but this is the reality. The negotiations held with Pfizer, Moderna were based on promises for 2022 only. But we need to vaccinate now. We will see the situation with Sinovac. A smaller quantity will be negotiated as the price is rather high,” stated Angela Paraschiv, noting the efficiency of the vaccine is to be clarified as Turkey shows rather high efficiency, while Brazil much lower efficiency.
The opposition MPs criticize the Moldovans authorities’ intention to purchase 400,000 doses of CoronaVac vaccine. According to the MPs, the vaccine has a doubtful reputation that endangers the people’s health. The parliamentary opposition said they are waiting for acting Prime Minister Aureliu Ciocoi to come to Parliament to shed light on the issue. The PPPDA MPs said acting Premier Aureliu Ciocoi should be invited to Parliament as the purchase of the CoronaVac vaccine is a too sensitive issue and requires maximum transparency. The PAS MPs said Moldova cannot purchase vaccines from other producers because the Chicu Government didn’t negotiate the bids on time. The Democrats are dissatisfied with the pace of immunization as only over 67,000 people have been vaccinated in Moldova so far.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection on April 9 said that it was considering the possibility of buying 400,000 doses of CoronaVac vaccine produced by Sinovac. The vaccine is approved in 17 countries, including Ukraine. A final decision as to the purchase of this vaccine is to be announced by the immunization committee on April 13.
