He President of Argentina, Alberto Fernández, confirmed this Wednesday that a private laboratory will begin to produce the Oxford vaccine against the new coronavirus.
The president also said that the objective is to make it available for the first half of 2021.
The Head of State explained that the intention is “to produce between 150 and 250 million vaccines for all of Latin America, with the exception of Brazil, which will be available for the first half of 2021,” replies the newspaper Clarín.
Fernández added that Mexico is the other country that will supply Latin America, and that this is the result of an agreement between the Slim Foundation and the laboratory that manufactures the vaccine by specialists from the University of Oxford.
He revealed that he calculates that The price of the vaccine will be “between 3 and 4 US dollars” each dose.
“In Argentina, AstraZeneca (the vaccine producer laboratory) chose the Masayans laboratory, which will be the producer of the vaccine reagent. It is a recognition of the quality of Argentine laboratories. Mexico will be in charge of packaging the vaccine and completing the production process, ”said the president.
It should be remembered that the Oxford University vaccine is in phase 3 of tests, the last before it can be distributed to the population.
He explained that the laboratory selected to produce the “active substance of the vaccine” was selected by the firm AstraZeneca.
“All production will be distributed equitably according to the demand of Latin American governments”, Fernández assured.
Early clinical trials of the vaccine by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford produced a significant immune response and were shown to be safe for patients.
Its efficacy must be established in a phase 3 trial, with a much larger number of participants, before considering its commercialization on a large scale.
The Minister of Health, Ginés González García, clarified that this agreement is not the only one that Argentina contemplates: “It is neither the only negotiation nor the only alternative. Our country is doing another clinical experience with another provider and we are talking with others, “he said.
In the event that the effectiveness of the vaccine is proven, Argentina will begin by immunizing the population at risk, including the elderly, health workers and those who have a previous pathology, “said the minister.
About 200 projects are being developed, including 23 in the clinical phase (tested in humans).
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