Pfizer CEO Says, "Prime Minister Should Step Up Instead of Minister"...National Leaders Face Growing Pressure in Vaccine Procurement Battle

US Emphasizes "Direct Talks with Prime Minister, Not Minister" Amid European Criticism
Israel and Singapore Both Have Prime Ministers Leading Vaccine Negotiations

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer, a COVID-19 vaccine manufacturer, recently demanded that the 'Prime Minister' rather than a minister directly engage in vaccine supply negotiations with Japan. This is interpreted as Pfizer expressing concerns over diplomatic disputes between countries regarding vaccines, indicating that it would be difficult if the highest national leader does not participate in the negotiations. As demands for vaccine diplomacy intensify, the burden on President Moon Jae-in has also increased.

According to Japan's Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) on the 20th, during the additional Pfizer vaccine supply negotiations held on the 17th amid Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's visit to the U.S., CEO Bourla reportedly said, "I want to negotiate directly with Prime Minister Suga." Nikkei reported that previously, Taro Kono, Minister for Administrative and Regulatory Reform who oversees Japan's vaccine policy, proposed negotiations for an additional 100 million doses to Pfizer, but CEO Bourla emphasized, "Negotiations must be with the Prime Minister, not a minister."

Nikkei analyzed that Pfizer's insistence on negotiating with the national leader stems from concerns about the scrutiny of governments such as the U.S. and Europe, which are trying to control vaccine exports. The Japanese government had been attempting negotiations with Pfizer's U.S. headquarters since December last year to secure vaccines, but the U.S. government pressured Pfizer to prioritize domestic vaccine supply, making successful negotiations difficult, Nikkei reported.

Currently, Pfizer vaccines exported to Japan are produced at Pfizer's manufacturing plant in Belgium, and the European Union (EU) and Belgian government require prior approval each time export shipments are made. Since January this year, the Japanese government, led by Minister Kono, a former Foreign Minister of Japan, has been urging the European Commission and Belgian government for regulatory exemptions and blanket approvals, but the EU has been reluctant to lift these regulations.

As the competition among countries to secure vaccines intensifies, vaccine negotiations with pharmaceutical companies are increasingly becoming situations where direct involvement of national leaders is necessary. Israel, known for having the highest vaccination rate in the world, had Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directly oversee vaccine negotiations with pharmaceutical companies since March last year. In Asia, Singapore, which received Pfizer vaccines the earliest, also had Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong personally leading vaccine negotiations.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.