The 3 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine purchased by Costa Rica cost $36 million, the Presidency revealed Wednesday.
The purchase price includes enough vaccines for 1.5 million people and transportation to Costa Rica. It excludes any applicable taxes.
Details about the purchase came after public pressure for information about the agreement. The government had previously withheld the figures, citing a confidentiality agreement signed with Pfizer/BioNTech.
“We are able to disclose this information because we have managed and obtained the corresponding authorization from the company Pfizer, which was communicated to us this afternoon by its General Management for Central America and the Caribbean,” the Presidency said Wednesday.
“This allows us to fully respect the confidentiality clause that is an integral part of said contract and at the same time inform the public about the investment made to acquire the contracted doses of this vaccine.”
Costa Rica has already received 54,600 doses of the vaccine. The first shipment arrived on December 23, 2020.
“The Government is committed to the continued development of this vaccination campaign, because in this way the health and lives of millions of people will be protected and, in addition, greater economic activity can resume, supporting the recovery of employment that thousands of families need,” the Presidency said.
Costa Rica is currently vaccinating staff and residents at retirement homes, and first responders.
Next in line for the vaccine are citizens and residents ages 58 and up. According to Leandra Abarca Gómez, coordinator of the vaccination campaign, that will begin in the second quarter of this year.
Costa Rica hopes to vaccinate 80% of its adult population by the end of this year. The Central American country also has a deal with AstraZeneca and is a member of the COVAX facility, through which it will receive enough doses to inoculate all at-risk individuals.
Vaccines are provided for free through Costa Rica’s public-health system.
