(CNN Español) – Immunization privileges, politicians skipping the line to receive experimental vaccines, fake covid-19 tests, fraudulent vials and even simulations of injections for the elderly. The coronavirus vaccination scandals have exacerbated the already serious health crisis in Latin America.
These are some of the scandals and controversies that have characterized the region in recent days.
“Wind Vaccines” in Brazil
The Rio de Janeiro prosecution is investigating at least four cases of ‘wind vaccines’. People have reported watching videos of their relatives’ vaccinations and verifying that although they were simulated being vaccinated, there was no vaccine in the syringe or an injection was simulated without squeezing the syringe.
A video released to the media allegedly shows that on February 12 in Niteroi Municipality, a nurse technician treating a 90-year-old man “did not press the syringe and stopped applying the immunizer,” the prosecution said. . , accusing her of appropriating the vaccine and requesting protective custody.
Likewise, in Copacabana, in Rio de Janeiro, another video recorded by family members showed that the syringe used to immunize an 85-year-old woman was empty at the time of inoculation.
As a result of the allegations, in some vaccination points, such as Bangú and Campo Grande in Rio de Janeiro, it was prohibited to include the vaccination.
However, the Rio de Janeiro’s Municipal Secretariat of Health has issued an orientation so that admissions are not obstructed.
CNN has attempted to contact the State Health Foundation for comment.
LEE: Investigation in Brazil of alleged simulations of covid-19 vaccine injections in the elderly
“VIP vaccination” in Argentina
Last week, Argentina’s president, Alberto Fernández, called for the resignation of his health minister, Ginés González García, after a scandal of alleged influence was unleashed to vaccinate officials of the ruling party.
“In Argentina, 70 people have been vaccinated irregularly,” said President Fernández during his visit to Mexico. And he added that “the irregular concept is a concept that needs to be revised. Among those vaccinated, there were those who should be vaccinated strategically ».
Carla Vizzotti, who replaced González as the new health minister, said these vaccinations were a “mistake” and denied that she was aware when they were carried out that there was a “VIP vaccination” and that the wallet she now leads, separated 3,000 doses is for your discretion.
“From the Ministry of Health, we are going to strengthen transparency because we have the traceability of vaccines, we have the system of who is and is not vaccinated, and we also have the opportunity to strengthen that through a much more specific mechanism concrete and, clearly , spread it regularly, as it is a topic of great sensitivity, ”Vizzotti said in an interview with Radio Con Vos last Monday.
LEE: New revelations emerge about “VIP vaccination” in Argentina, as the minister announces measures
Vacunagate in Peru
On Friday, the prosecution specializing in corruption crimes requested the provisional arrest of government officials who allegedly benefited from the experimental vaccine outside of clinical trials conducted by Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia and Chinese laboratory Sinopharm.
Among these officials are the former Ministers of Health, Pilar Mazzetti, and of External Relations, Elizabeth Astete. Both admitted to being vaccinated.
Astete said this was “a serious mistake”. Mazzetti apologized for what he called “the worst mistake” of his life.
The “vaccination” involves current and government officials, including former President Martín Vizcarra, who blamed “a political class interested only in creating chaos” in a public statement Monday for its involvement in a scandal.
In addition, Vizcarra tweeted on Sunday that his decision to get vaccinated “had done no harm to anyone, let alone the state.” And that “he didn’t take advantage of the situation because it was a project [para desarrollar] a vaccine that had not yet passed all stages of approval.
“I had valid reasons for not making my entry public [en los ensayos clínicos]as this would have jeopardized the normal development of Phase III experimental vaccination of Sinopharm worldwide “, wrote the former president
Earlier this week, Vizcarra is on a list of nearly 500 people who “took advantage of their position” to access the China-made vaccine, according to current interim president Francisco Sagasti.
LEE: Francisco Sagasti on vaccination: “What happened is an anomaly that should be treated as such”
Other controversies
And the controversies haven’t just turned up around vaccines.
On February 15, Guatemala’s Health Minister Amelia Flores denounced the delivery of a batch of 30,000 tests to detect the COVID-19, which was allegedly counterfeit.
According to a source close to the Flores office, a complaint was filed with the Public Prosecution Service through the Transparency and Anti-Corruption Unit of the Ministry of Health “ for possible illegal activities committed in acquiring supplies to improve the diagnostic capacity of patients in the Regional hospitals of Zacapa, Huehuetenango and Chimaltenango, in response to the disaster, according to government decree 5-2020 ».
The source adds that those responsible for the application have discovered anomalies and that “it was determined that the supplies purchased from a limited liability company do not meet the quality offered and produce invalid results when used for the purposes for which they have been bought. “
LEE: Guatemalan Health Minister denounces purchase of alleged false tests to detect Covid-19
According to the Ministry of Health, the product supplied does not include the manual and the packaging, presentation and labeling are different from the authentic product.
The head of the anti-corruption prosecutor Stuardo Campo told CNN that Minister Flores filed an extensive complaint on Tuesday involving the company Kron Científica e Industrial, SA and former health department officials, who intervened in the purchase of the alleged counterfeit. proof.
In the official portal of Guatecompras, there are several awards for the company Kron Científica e Industrial, SA, including a purchase made in September 2020 to acquire a lot with 30,000 tests at a cost of Q7,350,000 (approximately US $ 954,000).
The prosecution indicates that since last Friday, the evidence has been packed and that investigations are continuing and that it is investigating whether the company has committed the crimes of fraud, fraud, fraud in the delivery of goods, material untruth, ideological lie, among others. .
CNN tried to contact the legal representative for the company in question, but received no response.
LEE: 70 fraudulent covid-19 vaccines seized at Bogotá airport
On the other hand, as Colombia began its Covid-19 vaccination plan, authorities seized 70 fraudulent vaccines manufactured in China at El Dorado Airport in Bogotá.
The Colombian Ministry of Health said in a statement that due to an operation by the National Institute for Food and Drug Surveillance (Invima) and the National Tax and Customs Directorate (DIAN), “access to vaccines was limited to a passenger who came from a flight from the United Arab Emirates ».
“The inspection showed that the products entered the country with a label in a foreign language,” the ministry said.
He added that “the quantities shown in the packing list are 100 vaccines (vials) and after review it was found that 70 vaccines came in. It was also found that the batch number on the packing list did not match the labeling of the inspected boxes.