Alexandru Rafila explains the reasons for canceling the order of Pfizer vaccines: "It would not have had the storage capacity, and the additional costs for destroying the vaccines would have significantly increased the bill."

The former Minister of Health, Alexandru Rafila, stated that the decision to cancel the order of 29 million doses of COVID vaccine from Pfizer was correct, in the context in which Romania has lost the lawsuit against the pharmaceutical group.

Rafila emphasized that there were numerous rounds of negotiations with Pfizer and the European Commission to find a balanced solution, but that the situation at the Ministry of Health was alarming, with warehouses full of expired doses and a low public interest in vaccination. He mentioned that Romania managed to sell 7.5 million doses to other countries but had to destroy millions of expired doses, incurring additional costs.

"If we had accepted the purchase of these doses, Romania would not have had the storage capacity, and the additional costs for destroying the vaccines would have significantly increased the bill, also affecting public trust in the usefulness of vaccination", said Rafila.

As a result of the lawsuit, Romania must pay 600 million euros to Pfizer, and the current Minister of Health, Alexandru Rogobete, explained that the lawsuit was generated by the signing of a third contract in 2021, despite unused stocks.

Rafila emphasized that the money of Romanians should be used for medical services, not for payments without real benefits: "I could not sign, in silence, huge payments without real benefits for Romanian patients. For a Minister of Health, the objective is clear: the money of Romanians should be found in hospitals, in medical services, and in infrastructure, not in useless bills".