Posted on 06/18/21
| News Source: i24
Health Ministry: companies refused to disclose source of their vaccines, deals were shutdown
Two private Israeli security companies sent draft agreements to European countries with an offer to sell them millions of Pfizer vaccines, Yedioth Ahronoth reported.
This is despite the fact that Pfizer's stated policy is that only it may negotiate purchases of vaccines with governments and not private brokerage firms.
The first complaint about the Israeli companies reached the health Ministry from Pfizer itself, and it subsequently emerged that the two companies had already sent draft agreements to foreign countries, with attached confidentiality clauses.
Following this, the ministry examined whether the offers of the two companies were based on the stock of vaccines that Israel purchased or on vaccines from another source.
According to sources involved in the affair, representatives of the Health Ministry spoke with the owners of the firms and considered the possibility of filing complaints against the companies with the police.
The first company M.T.S., led by retired and reserve members of the Israeli military and police force, primarily provides security solutions but also offers COVID-19 related services such as the supply of medical equipment.
It is understood to have offered the Swizz government a supply of 3 million does of Pfizer vaccine in March of this year, Yedioth reported, noting that the company refused to disclose its supplier to the ministry.
The second company, CDD, is alleged to have offered the French and Dutch governments 30 million doses of Pfizer, also in March, Yedioth reported.