Pharmaceutical company Pfizer has warned Israel that it may stop shipment of its vaccine against Covid-19 unless the latter makes expeditious payments for the supply.
The company said last week that it had met its commitments in terms of current deals and was engaged in discussions about further supplies. However, payment delays were placing this in jeopardy.
Last week, Israeli media carried stories that a shipment of 700 000 doses had been halted, after payments had not been received for past consignments of 2.5 million doses. A Pfizer executive reportedly told Israeli officials that the company was not composed of ‘philanthropists’.
The delays have apparently arisen from Israel’s fractious internal politics. Defence minister Benny Gantz cancelled a cabinet meeting towards the end of March at which the purchasing of vaccines would have been approved. This was in protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to permit the appointment of a new justice minister.
There are also reports that Israel’s finance ministry was concerned that receiving the shipment without having paid for it would violate financial regulations.
Israel has performed well in vaccinating its population against Covid-19, and retains a substantial stock of doses. However, the prospect of export curbs in producer countries has made the acquisition of vaccines more of a priority for the country.