Health Commission approved initiative on free vaccination against COVID-19
In the Commission of Work, Health and Social Development of the National Assembly the deputies Tito Rodríguez, Miguel Fanovich, Ricardo Torres and Víctor Castillo presented the Draft Bill 080 that establishes that the vaccine against COVID-19 is universal, public and free for Panamanians.
The National Government must guarantee free and compulsory vaccination to the entire Panamanian population against COVID-19, since this is a public good with universal access. For this purpose, there must be a government commission that manages the acquisition of vaccines against it. COVID-19, in it must be the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Government, explains in its justification the legislative draft.
However, regarding the use of the term "mandatory", the deputy proposing the project, Tito Rodríguez, indicated that it has generated contradictions, but added that he rejects that it be placed in a mandatory manner, ensuring that the meaning of the law is that it be free and universal for those who are placed in public medical centers and at an affordable cost for those who wish to have it placed in private clinics.
The objective of the draft law is to aim at what we are currently experiencing with COVID-19 and when the vaccine arrives in Panama that it is regulated, free and universal for all Panamanians. Some contradictions occurred because in the Explanatory Memorandum there was talk of it being mandatory, we are going to reject that it be mandatory. That it be free for all Panamanians and that private hospitals also have 50% discounts on taxes, explained Rodríguez .
Regarding the issue of the vaccine, the head of the Ministry of Health, Luis Francisco Sucre, said that his team of technicians would review the draft to send the necessary adjustments to the articles as the responsible entity.
Sucre added that currently the Government has three groups of scientists studying the effectiveness of the best vaccine for the country and obtaining it through negotiations with other countries and companies that are developing them.
Until now there is an arduous global competition to get the first vaccine against COVID-19, an effective dose in humans and that may be available by the beginning of 2021.
This initiative proposes that the Government Commission for Procurement of Vaccine against COVID-19, will authorize the private sector to acquire these vaccines for which it will be exempted from paying the 50% tax for the importation or purchase of vaccines. These will be distributed free of charge to the entire Panamanian population.
The preliminary draft highlights that there are three projects that have entered phase 3 of their experimental vaccine, these are: CanSino Biological Inc. / Institute of Biotechnologies of Peking (China Popular); that of Moderna / National Institute of Infectious Diseases NIAID (United States) and that of the JENNER Institute of the University of Oxford (United Kingdom).
The initiative contains 8 articles and this morning it was endorsed by the Committee on Labor, Health and Social Development for discussion in plenary.
However, regarding the use of the term "mandatory", the deputy proposing the project, Tito Rodríguez, indicated that it has generated contradictions, but added that he rejects that it be placed in a mandatory manner, ensuring that the meaning of the law is that it be free and universal for those who are placed in public medical centers and at an affordable cost for those who wish to have it placed in private clinics.
The objective of the draft law is to aim at what we are currently experiencing with COVID-19 and when the vaccine arrives in Panama that it is regulated, free and universal for all Panamanians. Some contradictions occurred because in the Explanatory Memorandum there was talk of it being mandatory, we are going to reject that it be mandatory. That it be free for all Panamanians and that private hospitals also have 50% discounts on taxes, explained Rodríguez .
Regarding the issue of the vaccine, the head of the Ministry of Health, Luis Francisco Sucre, said that his team of technicians would review the draft to send the necessary adjustments to the articles as the responsible entity.
Sucre added that currently the Government has three groups of scientists studying the effectiveness of the best vaccine for the country and obtaining it through negotiations with other countries and companies that are developing them.
Until now there is an arduous global competition to get the first vaccine against COVID-19, an effective dose in humans and that may be available by the beginning of 2021.
This initiative proposes that the Government Commission for Procurement of Vaccine against COVID-19, will authorize the private sector to acquire these vaccines for which it will be exempted from paying the 50% tax for the importation or purchase of vaccines. These will be distributed free of charge to the entire Panamanian population.
The preliminary draft highlights that there are three projects that have entered phase 3 of their experimental vaccine, these are: CanSino Biological Inc. / Institute of Biotechnologies of Peking (China Popular); that of Moderna / National Institute of Infectious Diseases NIAID (United States) and that of the JENNER Institute of the University of Oxford (United Kingdom).
The initiative contains 8 articles and this morning it was endorsed by the Committee on Labor, Health and Social Development for discussion in plenary.