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Novotny: After Four Months We Have Contract But No Single Vaccine
Thursday 10 December 2009 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, December 10 (TASR) - Slovakia signed the contract for the purchase of A(H1N1) flu vaccines too late, said SDKU-DS MP Viliam Novotny at a press conference in Bratislava on Thursday.
"After four months we have some sort of contract, but not a single vaccine on Slovak territory," said Novotny. "What I've been taught in epidemology and infectology is that you need to inoculate against flu in the autumn - before an epidemic breaks out - in extreme cases by Christmas," said Novotny, adding that he has never heard of inoculations in February.
According to Novotny, there's a link between the French company from which Slovakia is buying the flu jabs (Sanofi Pasteur) and the governing Coalition, as Vladimir Olear, who works as an assistant to Slovak National Party (SNS) MP Stefan Zelnik, represents Sanofi Pasteur in Slovakia. "We will ask the State Material Reserves Administration (SSHR) to publish the conditions of the tender, to publish the contract that is described as advantageous for Slovakia by the Slovak Health Minister (Richard Rasi)," said Novotny's party colleague Peter Markovic.
According to Novotny, the cost of €7.60 per vaccine is high, as the Czech Republic, for example, is paying €7 per vaccine. In reply to a journalists' remark that the Czech Republic is actually stating double that price, Novotny said that this might concern two jabs.
Referring to the Health Ministry's decision to press charges against Novotny for allegedly spreading panic over A(H1N1) flu, the opposition MP said that the minister obviously mistakes criticism of the Government for panic-mongering. "If I'm called to make a statement by an investigator I'll do so gladly and I won't worry about my MP's immunity," stated Novotny.
"We're protesting against being accused of being unprepared. I want to say that the Slovak Republic has updated its pandemic plan due to novel flu, and has prepared 30,000 beds for possible patients," said Rasi on November 30.
"The contract was signed between the Slovak and French sides. I reject any kind of influence on my side because my assistant is the representative of Sanofi Pasteur in Slovakia," said Zelnik, who is a member of the parliamentary committee for healthcare. "If I have all the available information, the conditions were set very well. The vaccines are cheaper than what the Czech Republic has bought them for, while Slovakia will also get syringes, needles and the transport of the vaccines as a bonus, plus the company will take the risks on itself," added Zelnik.
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