[ad_1]
What is behind the dispute between Brussels and Astra Zeneca?
| Reading time: 4 minutes
Vaccine supply dispute continues between EU and AstraZeneca
The EU is said to receive fewer vaccines from AstraZeneca than originally promised. The reasons for this are not clear. Brussels sees the manufacturer as guilty. He, in turn, believes that it was ordered too late.
The EU accuses Astra Zeneca of failing to comply with vaccine delivery obligations, the pharmaceutical company objects. What is the dispute about? Who else is Brussels negotiating with? Is there protection against mutated viruses? WELT answers the most important questions.
reThe dispute between the EU Commission and British-Swedish vaccine manufacturer Astra Zeneca is escalating. There are mutual complaints, accusations and threats in the room.
Astra Zeneca initially canceled a crisis meeting between the two parties scheduled for Wednesday night and then confirmed it again. At the same time, representatives of the EU health authorities provided information on urgent issues. WELT answers the most important questions:
What is the dispute about?
The EU Commission has signed a framework agreement with Astra Zeneca for up to 400 million doses of vaccine since August. However, the group has announced that it will only deliver around 31 million doses of the promised 80 million doses in the first quarter after the vaccine is expected to be approved on Friday, a setback for Brussels, because it would later lead to delays in Europe. -general vaccines. The reason given was production problems at a plant in Belgium.
The EU does not allow it, especially since the group still produces at three other plants. EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides again asked the British-Swedish company on Wednesday afternoon to deliver the contractually agreed amount of corona vaccine to EU countries on time. “We are in a pandemic and we are losing people every day,” Kyriakides said. Vaccine manufacturers have a “moral, social and contractual responsibility.”
Astra Zeneca’s director, Pascal Soriot, had previously said in the WELT interview that his company had never committed to fixed delivery quantities. He only assured himself “that we will do our best”.
A spokesperson for the EU Commission replied that the “best effort” clause only refers to the development phase. “If approval is granted, then the agreed quantities must be delivered, including pre-produced quantities,” he said.
How high is the number of cases in the EU?
According to current figures, an average of 453 corona cases per 100,000 inhabitants occur in the EU territory (incidence of 14 days). The differences, however, are considerable: Finland has the lowest incidence with 61 cases, but there are also regions with up to 1,144 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. There are currently ten deaths per 100,000 inhabitants across Europe.
A senior student at the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC): “The relatively low value in Finland is still three times higher than the European average in summer. We are still a long way from where we want to be. “
Will there be more vaccines soon?
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is currently in talks with 50 different manufacturers. In 23 advanced cases, you are already talking with providers about specific study data and objectives (“scientific advice”). The Russian Sputnik V vaccine is also on this short list, but it is not yet clear how many products will eventually be approved. Johnson & Johnson and possibly also the German company Curevac should receive the next approvals in the coming months.
Are vulnerable groups safe with corona vaccination?
Unfortunately, that cannot be said with certainty. Due to the enormous time pressure in the development and approval of the vaccines approved so far, neither pregnant women, patients with chronic diseases, nor cancer patients have been included in the studies. Specific data for children are not yet available, although the pediatric research plan for all vaccines is always developed later.
Do vaccines also help against mutants?
According to the ECDC, three main variants are known to date: the British, the South African and the Brazilian. According to the authority, it is “definitely true” that the British variant is “easier to transfer”. But there is “absolutely no evidence” that these mutations lead to more serious clinical conditions.
In the case of the British mutation, the vaccines previously approved by Moderna and Biontech / Pfizer are, according to current knowledge, effective. “For the other two mutations, we don’t know exactly yet. Efficiency may be reduced ”, says an ECDC expert.
The EMA said: “There is a risk that at some point we will discover a mutant that is not sensitive to the vaccine.” However, vaccines are “platform technologies” where “different contents are packaged in the same package.” As you generally only have to change the content and not the construction principle, in most cases it would be possible to react relatively quickly to crown mutations. This is how you proceed with the influenza virus, which changes every year.
Will the coronavirus ever be eradicated?
That is not to be expected. EU health experts emphasize that it is likely that in the distant future “a low number of diseases” will also be registered, as a certain “animal reservoir” would continue to exist. In the current pandemic situation, a widespread vaccination effect can only be expected between the second half of the year and the end of the year.
