South Africa ‘Forced To Overpay’ For COVID-19 Vaccines Under ‘One-Sided’ Contracts

Companies and organizations that signed the contracts deny any heavy-handedness, with Johnson & Johnson saying it worked closely with South Africa on vaccine supply, and the vaccine alliance Gavi noting that the COVAX Facility provided the country with more than nine million doses free of charge.

A single bottle vial of Covid-19 coronavirus vaccine in a research medical lab. 3D illustration.
Some pharma firms are under fire over their South African vaccine contracts • Source: Shutterstock

The COVID-19 vaccine procurement contracts signed with the South African government were “overwhelmingly one-sided” in favor of multinational companies,” and were characterized by “unusually hefty demands and conditions,” including secrecy and a lack of transparency.

That is the view of the non-governmental organization, Health Justice Initiative, which claims that “Big Pharma held South Africa to...

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