The investigation into senior Peruvian government officials who privately received the COVID-19 vaccine from China’s Sinopharm laboratory, including former President Martín Vizcarra, will be completed next week, Health Minister Óscar Ugarte said.
“Starting today, the commission will investigate, determine, how that group got, who decided to go here or there, to so many ministries,” Ugarte said Monday in the RPP station before noticing that the Ministry of Health has “an idea about Those who have been vaccinated “and they could be officials from” 15 to 20 “.
Amid the scandal and outrage caused by the revelation in the country, Ugarte confirmed that the commission of inquiry will be chaired by former Health Minister Fernando Carbone (2002-2003).
He added that, in addition to the staff of his office, representatives of the College of Physicians, the College of Nurses and the College of Pharmaceutical Chemists were also invited.
Ugarte said the commission would conduct a summary inquiry and was due to report next week.
REITERATES INDIGNATION
Beyond the investigation, the minister said he shared the “outrage” of President Francisco Sagasti and, for this reason, “anyone who participated in this irregular vaccination is excluded” from his duties, including former deputy health ministers Luis Suarez and Victor Bocangel, who resigned.
Foreign Minister Elizabeth Astete resigned this Sunday, after admitting that in January she received the first dose of vaccine because, as she said, she could not afford the “luxury of getting sick”, although now considers that he made a “serious mistake”.
On Sunday, Ugarte said former deputy ministers told him the vaccination was known to his predecessor in office, Pilar Mazzetti, who resigned last Friday after Congress convened it a day before reporting. vaccination in Vizcarra and his wife.
ADDITIONAL DOSAGE
The Peruvian Cayetano Heredia University (UPCH), which is conducting clinical trials of the vaccine in the country, reported receiving an additional batch of 3,200 doses, in addition to those intended to vaccinate the 12,000 volunteers who participated in the investigation last year.
This additional batch was delivered for administration to the research team and study staff who wanted to receive the vaccine, which has not yet been approved in the country, so “no data will be collected for analysis,” the university said.
He added that “the decision to administer this vaccine was made by the research team,” led by Dr. Germán Málaga, whom the Peruvian Congress will convene to report why some of the vaccines were intended for people outside the research. .
UPCH also rejected the fact that the additional batch was called by the media as “vaccines of courtesy, donations or benefits” and assured that it was made available “to cooperate with all investigations carried out by the competent authorities”.
VIZCARRA AND OFFICERS
This Sunday it was learned that, in addition to Vizcarra and his wife, whose vaccination was made public on Thursday, other senior Peruvian officials also secretly received “courtesy” vaccines from Sinopharm, which opened a new political crisis in the country.
These vaccinations took place between September and January last year and involved Vizcarra government officials and the current Sagasti cabinet, who intervened and had decision-making power in purchasing the product from Sinopharm, the laboratory that has already delivered 1 million doses to the country. , intended for the vaccination of front-line personnel in the fight against covid-19.
In this regard, both the Congress and the Prosecutor’s Office have initiated preliminary investigations, in principle against Vizcarra, while lawyers differ in their opinion on the case, as some believe that those involved have committed only an ethical fault, while others speak about corruption offenses. , for which he could receive up to 8 years in prison.
This Sunday, after learning that not only his predecessor had been vaccinated, Sagasti said he was “outraged and angry at this situation that endangers all the efforts of Peruvians working on the front lines” in the fight against the pandemic.