The Ministry of Health reported on Tuesday 15 November that it is continuing with the analysis to determine the course it will be followed in the negotiation of the contract signed with Russia for the acquisition of 16 million of the Sputnik V vaccine, of which, so far, eight million have been collected.
According to the Minister of Health, Francisco Coma, stressed that “every day” they analyze the legal path that will be taken with Russia, but did not expand on the details.
On April 5, 2021, the Guatemalan Ministry of Health signed the contract to obtain 16 million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine with the company Human Vaccine LLC, branch of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (FIDR) for which he paid Q614.5 million, which corresponded to half the doses.
However, due to the slow distribution of biological medicines and given the lack of acceptance of this vaccine by the population, in July 2021 the government of Guatemala renegotiated the contract and it was agreed that the upfront payment would be to cover just the eight million doses and that the remaining 50% would no longer be purchased.
Allegedly, the Q614.5 million that would not be paid to Russia for the 50% of vaccines that would not be purchased would be used to negotiate with other pharmaceutical companies, but in October 2021, Minister Coma said that in the signed addendum between both countries agreed that the remaining money could be used to buy Sputnik V between 2022 and 2023; however, a month and a half after the end of the year It is not clear what will happen with these vaccines, given that the renegotiation that was carried out by the then Minister of Health, Amelia Flores, and by President Alejandro Giammattei with Russia was behind closed doors.
According to official information, Sputnik V vaccine unit price is about Q76.80, cost to which the transport must be added
Sputniks were defeated
In Guatemala, 7.78 million doses have expired, of which four million 824 thousand 524 come from Sputnik V.
Data from the Ministry of Health indicate that two million 197 thousand 604 doses are of component 1 of the Russian vaccine, while two million 626 thousand 920 of component two.
According to Coma, there is now no date for the destruction of the doses, but he assures that this would not affect the investigation processes that the Public Prosecutor has for the complaints presented.
