The Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection aims to sign a contract with Pfizer BioNTech for the purchase of 700,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses. If the purchase is agreed, the delivery of the vaccine doses will be possible in the third or fourth quarter of this year. In its May 19 meeting, the Government approved a draft decision concerning measures for organizing vaccine procurement, IPN reports.

Secretary of state at the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection Igor Curov said it is a necessary initiative given that the third stage of the immunization campaign was launched and the general population is now being vaccinated. “We ask for the approval of a Government decision that will allow buying vaccines with exception from the standard document models so as to organize the procurement, including the contract model and the standard form of the European single procurement model, by accepting the form models proposed by the COVID-19 vaccine producer,” stated Igor Curov.

At the moment, the Ministry received one bid and is having negotiations with Pfizer. “The model of the negotiated pre-contract does not coincide with the standard documents and legal requirements. To ensure the contract is signed, we need an approved Government decision,” said the official.