In remarks made earlier
this week, the Mexican leader said his government was still waiting for
the scientific community to demonstrate the benefits of vaccinating
minors. Until conclusive evidence was provided, Mexico would refuse to
purchase jabs for children, Obrador announced, adding that
pharmaceutical firms seemed to be focused more on making profits than on
ensuring medical necessity as they rake in record sales from Covid-19
vaccines.
Mexico will not be held hostage
by pharmaceutical companies that only want to do business and scare
children with the idea that it is necessary to vaccinate against
Covid-19.
He was similarly critical of
plans by drugs companies to introduce third- or even fourth-dose booster
shots, opining that the jabs could be “superfluous.”
Speaking on the same topic, Undersecretary for Health Hugo López-Gatell claimed there was “no scientific evidence” showing the jab was “essential” for minors, given the high rate of inoculation among the adult population, Excélsior, Mexico City’s second-oldest daily, reported.
Mexico
has approved a range of Covid vaccines for emergency use, including
shots developed by Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, and
Sinovac, as well as Russia’s Sputnik V.
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The country’s Health Ministry recently revealed that a minimum of 48% of Mexicans have received at least one vaccine dose.
Like
many other countries, Mexico rolled out its inoculation program in
phases, giving high-risk groups first priority. Currently, those under
18 are not included in the vaccine drive.
Largely ignored by
international media, Obrador’s provocative remarks went viral after an
English-subtitled video of his speech was shared across social media.
Several comments hailed the Mexican president’s “cajones”
for calling out Big Pharma greed. Pfizer, for example, has boasted
record profits and recently raised full-year sales estimates for its
vaccine to $45 billion.
Others
shared more conspiratorial reactions to Obrador’s comments. Numerous
observers theorized that the Mexican president was exposing himself to
potential harm or an “accident” by criticizing Big Pharma firms in such a blunt and direct manner.
While
Mexico doesn’t feel comfortable administering the shot to youngsters,
many other countries have begun to offer the vaccine to minors, both in
clinical trials and as part of inoculation drives. According to the Mayo
Clinic, around 14% of Americans under 18 have received at least one
Covid shot.
