Mexico. COVID-19 vaccine approvals update

December 15, 2023

On December 7th the Mexican regulatory agency COFEPRIS approved the marketing authorizations for the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 Vaccines. The recent approval may appear odd, but the reason is that these two COVID vaccines and other products necessary to overcome all aspects of the pandemic, were approved by COFEPRIS on emergency basis.

Due to the legal grounds of emergency approvals and the Mexican health policy to maintain distribution and application of COVID vaccines in the public sector exclusively and a strict vaccination campaign established by the federal government, it was until recently that COFEPRIS approved the marketing authorizations for the COVID vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna. Other vaccine approvals are expected soon.

The impact of the recent approvals will be reflected in the importation, distribution, and commercialization of these COVID vaccines in the private sector, something that was litigated in the past before Mexican Courts to overcome the above-mentioned restrictions. OLIVARES was fully alert about the corresponding litigation and now we are closely following the implementation of the approvals in the private sector.