The Ministry of Public Function (SFP) detected that of the 305 million 405,219 doses of vaccines of the Universal Vaccination Program (PVU), necessary for the period 2020-2022, only 143 million 350,509 were delivered in the country, that is, 46.9 % of the total.
Through the audit act UAG-EV-001-2022, it was announced that in order to comply with the PVU demand, in the indicated period, the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS); Institute of Security and Social Services for State Workers (ISSSTE); Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), the Secretary of National Defense and the Navy – which make up the National Health System (SNS) – estimated that 305.4 million doses would be needed.
Regarding coverage, the SFP indicated that between 2020 and 2022, health institutions registered the application of seven of the 10 biologicals approved in the general guidelines of the PVU for boys and girls from 0 to 9 years of age.
The three vaccines that the SS (federal Ministry of Health) did not have application records are against influenza, hepatitis A and chicken pox. In 2020, vaccination coverage was 64.4% in the complete scheme for children under one year of age and 74.6% for infants under one year of age, and in 2021, 77.8% and 88.4%, respectively.
The institutions in charge of the purchase of vaccines from the basic table were Insabi, Birmex and the same federal Ministry of Health.
Biological Laboratories
The document detailed that the institutions, which make up the SNS, requested from Laboratorios de Biológicos y Reactivos de México, SA de CV (Birmex) 190 million 594,614 doses of vaccines in the period between 2020 and the third quarter of 2022, of which which 120 million 834,267 doses were supplied; which represented 63.4% of the total requested.
The evaluation report explained that the proportion of doses delivered, compared to those required from 2020 to 2021, increased by 5 points, since they went from delivering 50.2% in 2020 to 55.2% in 2021.
However, by September of last year, 34.7% (33 million 29,389 doses) of the total required vaccines (95 million 289,717 doses) had been delivered.
This, according to the SFP, “prevents guaranteeing the supply of vaccines necessary for immunization of the people who are part of their PR (Population of Responsibility)” to health institutions.
The Public Function, through the Government Audit Unit and the General Directorate of Government Performance Audit, also discovered a deficit in the supply of biologicals requested from Birmex in previous years, which means a risk in the supply timely delivery of vaccines to SNS institutions.
In this sense, the audit details that Birmex in 2020 spent 60% of its budget destined to comply with the USP; in 2021 it was 78% and until September 2022 it had used 55.2 percent.
“These sub-exercises denote weaknesses in the programming, budgeting and application of the resources assigned to the institution,” it was indicated.
Regarding its financial statements, the SFP said that it refrained from issuing an opinion “because it was not possible to obtain sufficient and adequate evidence, since the entity does not have a system that allows the recording of budgetary and accounting operations of all its management , there being a high risk of not generating reliable, timely, updated and periodic financial statements”.
Regarding the research and production of vaccines, the SFP indicated that between 2020 and 2022 it began four projects and scheduled the production of 2 of the 16 biologicals of the PVU.
However, in 2020, Cofepris “imposed security measures on that company that caused the loss of the Certificate of Good Manufacturing Practices (CBPF), which made it impossible for it to continue with the activities of research, production, obtaining, preparation, mixing , conditioning and packaging of biological and reactive products.
“Despite the fact that the procedures to recover the aforementioned certificate began, on June 16, 2022, the Board of Directors of Birmex instructed to suspend them momentarily, until the company has a better financial situation,” it was specified.
In the audit it was reported that by 2022, Birmex registered losses of 178.9 million, while the account with suppliers grew 246.8%, going from 1,234 million in 2020 to 4,282 in the third quarter of 2022.
“Consequently (…) Birmex indefinitely suspended research activities and did not produce any of the PVU vaccines, which represents an obstacle for it to contribute to national sovereignty, security and public health,” it was warned.
Due to this, the Public Function recommended guaranteeing “the timely supply of biologicals to immunize the target population of the SNS institutions; have relevant and quality information on the biologics acquired; include in promotional materials the benefits of vaccines and the risk of lack of immunization”, among other actions.
The Universal Vaccination Program (PVU) has the purpose of reducing morbidity and mortality from diseases preventable by vaccination; in addition to reaching and maintaining 95% vaccination coverage for biologics and 90% coverage with a complete schedule for each age group.
