DOH: COVID-19 vaccine price confidentiality a marketing strategy

The non-disclosure of prices for COVID-19 vaccines which the  Philippines may buy for its mass inoculation program is a marketing strategy employed by pharmaceutical firms, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Tuesday.

“Kasi po ang manufacturers, ibibigay na nila lahat ng detalye nila sa amin once we sign the confidentiality disclosure agreement and with all of these products under development, mayroon po silang marketing strategy,” Vergeire said in an interview on Balitanghali.

“Ayaw nila ma-disclose ‘yong kanilang detalye because their products are all under development so there is competition na iniisip nila madi-disclose ‘yong kanilang information which are confidential just for their product,” she added.

All details would be disclosed to the public once the contract with the pharmaceutical firm has been effected and the deliveries arrived.

Meanwhile, she said the prices of the vaccines posted on the pharmaceutical companies’ websites are just ballpark figures.

“When you negotiate, especially for government, may mga special discounts po ang mga gobyerno diyan ang kapag kanilang ipinost ‘yan and therefore competition will be there, ‘yong ka-compete nila puwedeng ibaba pa para mas kunin ng ibang gobyerno. So these are marketing strategies and we have to respect that also for manufacturers,” Vergeire said.

Government officials in charge of securing COVID-19 vaccines for the country face mounting demands for transparency amid questions on the price and efficacy of the shots they seek to procure.

Both houses of Congress are investigating the government’s procurement of COVID-19 vaccines after Malacañang expressed a preference for China’s Sinovac jab despite its lower efficacy rate and higher market price compared to the competition.

Some lawmakers were also surprised by government officials' refusal to reveal the cost of the vaccines procured so far.

Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte backed vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on the non-disclosure of the prices of the vaccines.

In his weekly briefing with COVID-19 response officials, Duterte said Galvez should stick to his “game plan” for the rollout of coronavirus vaccines despite the doubts lawmakers raised during congressional investigations.

Galvez, meanwhile, claimed that his negotiations with manufacturers saved the government $700 million.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III meanwhile urged the public to trust the government’s procurement plan.

The Philippines has so far secured 30 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by India’s Serum Institute, 25 million from Sinovac, and nearly 20 million from British-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca. — Ma. Angelica Garcia/DVM, GMA News