South Africa to pay double price for Oxford-AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine

On Thursday, the Ministry of Health said that South Africa would buy Oxford-AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine supplements at a price 2.5 times higher than most European countries.

The continent's worst virus-infested country has ordered at least 1.5 million vaccine shots from the Serum Institute of India, expected in January and February.

A senior health department official told the news agency AFP on Thursday that those doses would cost $ 5.25 - about 2.5 times the amount paid by most European countries. "

The Health Department has confirmed that the price is $5.25," said Anban Pillay, deputy director-general of the health department.

According to information revealed by a Belgian minister on Twitter last month, members of the European Union (EU) will pay only 1.78 euros ($ 2.16) for AstraZeneca shots.

Bilateral deals between wealthy governments and coronavirus vaccine manufacturers have raised concerns over price increases and supply shortages for low- and middle-income countries.

The World Health Organization cautioned against "vaccine nationalism" and "price going" when a successful shot was found last year.

AstraZeneca France told AFP in November that its shots would be capped at 2.5 euros (about $ 3) per dose "to provide the vaccine with more reasonable access". The pharmaceutical company did not reply to requests for comment on the price quotation from the Ministry of Health.

The AstraZeneca vaccine order of South Africa is part of the 20 million safe doses delivered in the first half of 2021. The WHO-backed Kovacs facility is expected to provide shots for 10 percent of the population between April and June.

Other vaccines will be provided through bilateral contracts with the African Union and suppliers that have not yet been disclosed. Opposition groups, meanwhile, have criticized South Africa's vaccination strategy. "

Reports today indicate that the government will have to spend double what some other countries are paying for their vaccines," the main opposition Democratic Alliance said on Thursday, blaming poor planning and delayed negotiations.

Trade union Solidarity and leading rights group AfriForum jointly announced plans to launch a legal fight against the government against lack of transparency.

"The government's non-disclosure is evidence as to why a monopoly cannot be relied upon in the purchase and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine,"

AfriForum said in a statement on Thursday. South Africa is battling a second wave of infection by a new coronavirus variant deemed more contagious by scientists. To date, more than 1.3 million cases and 38,800 deaths have been reported in the country. The government's goal is to get two-thirds of its population vaccinated - 40 million out of about 60 million people - to achieve herd immunity by the end of 2021.