The South African government did not get a fair deal on its COVID-19 vaccines and now everyone knows it.
The details of the government’s contracts with drug companies were publicly released this week, and among the most outrageous findings was that manufacturers such as Johnson & Johnson charged South Africa more for vaccines than they did wealthier countries in Europe. Although J&J says their final price was $7.50 per dose, which is lower than what they charged the EU.
At the same time, some manufacturers prevented the South African government from donating their doses to other countries without permission. Some of the contracts also included broad indemnification clauses that pushed the liability onto the government if any complications arose.
About the author
Andrew Green@_andrew_green
Andrew Green, a 2025 Alicia Patterson Fellow, works as a contributing reporter for Devex from Berlin.
