Germany predicts rapid EU approval of AstraZeneca vaccine

Germany hopes the European Union will quickly approve the coronavirus vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca, which was licensed for use in Britain today, its top vaccine official said.

Berlin’s support for AstraZeneca comes as EU member countries seek to complete supply chains for vaccination campaigns that began last weekend with a Pfizer / BioNTech injection, the only one that has gained approval from the EU until now.

Germany has advanced relatively quickly, saying 78,000 injections have been administered, but there have been reports of setbacks with some vaccination centers temporarily closed due to shortages of supplies.

In response to complaints in the capital Berlin and in the federal states of Brandenburg and Bavaria about delays in delivery of the Pfizer vaccine, the Health Ministry said more shipments were expected on January 8 and 18.

Covid-19-related deaths in Germany hit a daily record of 1,129 today, bringing the total deaths to 32,107 as local authorities caught up with a backlog of Christmas reports. The total confirmed cases reached 1.69 million.

The bestselling newspaper Bild reported that Chancellor Angela Merkel’s chief of staff had agreed during a video conference with regional leaders to extend the shutdown until January 24 or 31.

Merkel will finalize the date and details of the measures during talks with regional leaders in the new year.

Klaus Cichutek, director of the Paul Ehrlich Institute, said that, thanks to the ongoing review of the AstraZeneca vaccine in the EU, it would be possible to make a quick decision once a formal application was submitted.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) had not received any such request this morning, Cichutek told reporters, but a debate in his councils would follow as soon as it arrived.

“Once the application is submitted, a decision can be made quickly,” Cichutek told a news conference.

“Complete and fast”

German Health Minister Jens Spahn urged “a thorough and rapid review” of the AstraZeneca vaccine by the EMA, in addition to the planned authorization of an injection of Moderna in early January.

“Vaccination is the key to getting out of this pandemic,” Spahn told reporters.

“Preventing death and suffering is key. It is the key to recovering our normal life.”

Spahn confirmed that Germany still expected to receive 1.3 million doses of the injection from Pfizer by the end of the year. Then, after the two shipments in January, weekly shipments of 670,000 doses would follow every Monday, his ministry said.

Even with the increase in supply in early 2021, it will take months to vaccinate the general population.

“I can only ask for patience,” he said.

“Please don’t forget that we have a vaccine, that’s reason enough for joy and optimism.”

Amid further contagion, continued sharp cuts in social contacts would remain necessary, authorities said.

“It will take months for enough people to be vaccinated to reduce the circulation of the virus in the population,” said Lothar Wieler, director of the Robert Koch Institute responsible for coordinating the response to the German pandemic.