REUTERS
The negotiating position of Indonesia is much stronger than that of Ukraine.
Head of State Enterprise Medical Procurement of Ukraine (MPU) Arsen Zhumadilov has elaborated on COVID-19 vaccine pricing for Ukraine, explaining why the price for Indonesia is almost 75% below that offered to Ukraine.
The two figures are available in open sources as regards to the price of the CoronaVac vaccine (Sinovac) for the time being. The first price is US$59.5 for the two doses, he wrote Facebook on January 3.
"At such a price, government services of the city of Jiaxing (China) offered the vaccine to its residents. The dose cost US$29.75. Given the price set for Ukraine (US$17.85), this information shouldn't cause concern," Zhumadilov added.
At the same time, the price for Indonesia will be US$13.57 per dose, which is almost a quarter lower than that for Ukraine.
"Clarification is required here. Besides ordering the product, Indonesia has also offered in advance a site for the vaccine candidate's clinical trials. The state-owned pharmaceutical enterprise PT Bio Farma has partnered with Sinovac to conduct the third phase of clinical trials," Zhumadilov wrote.
The expert noted that such a partnership usually includes early access to information, volumes produced, as well as flexible pricing terms.
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Zhumadilov added that Indonesia buys the vaccine "in bulk".
That is, packaging, labeling, and batch control are performed by the Indonesian side.
Vaccine for Ukraine: Background