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Ursula von der Leyen, Director of the European Commission. Photo by Scanpix / Xinhua
European Union (EU) authorities have taken steps to accelerate the completion of a COVID-19 vaccine in response to criticism about the slowness of vaccination at a time when the virus continues to spread rapidly.
Ursula von der Leyen, director of the European Commission (EC), said that the current agreement with BioNTech and Pfizer had been extended to 600 million doses of vaccines per block.
The EU Pharmacovigilance Authority also allowed each dose of BioNTech and Pfizer vaccine to receive the next doses, instead of the five previously decided. This can increase the number of silage shots by 20%.
At the same time, BioNTech stated that early data shows that the developed vaccine is effective and that new strains of coronavirus have been discovered in the UK and South Africa, which are believed to be more intrusive.
Mr. von der Leyen acknowledged that with the launch of the 27-member vaccine content in the EU, all was not going well and we waited even more difficult months until the program was sufficiently developed.
However, he stressed that the Commission’s strategy last year to order a series of vaccines not yet approved was the correct one in the face of global competition.
This ensured a sufficient supply of two vaccines already licensed in the Community for the BioNTech-Pfizer and Moderna dose.
They will be able to vaccinate 380 million. Europeans, which is more than 80% of the European population, says the EC leader, adding that if all other candidate vaccines are approved, the EU will receive 2.3 billion euros. a dose that will be sufficient for all the inhabitants of the EU, and the rest will go to the poor neighbors of the Community.
Germany turned around
Other candidate vaccines are a preparation from the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca, as well as vaccines developed by Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi and GSK and Curevac. Negotiations are also underway on a Novavax vaccine.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has said a decision could be made to allow the vaccine from the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca later this month.
However, the EU currently has only 75 million doses of the BioNTech and Pfizer vaccines, and the remaining deliveries will start around April to June.
On Wednesday permission was granted to buy 160 million. Modern doses of vaccine. The agreement provides for another 200 million. additional dose and possibility of acquiring another 100 million. dose.
By comparison, the US checked a total of 200 million. BioNTech and Pfizer dose and the same dose of Moderna vaccine.
However, Germany, the country of origin of the EC, does not comply with the community scheme for the collective purchase of vaccines. The German Ministry of Health has announced that it has agreed to buy an additional 30 million euros. directly to BioNTech and Pfizer and another 20 million doses to Curevac and is currently in negotiations with Moderna.
Mr von der Leyen argued that the EC procurement agreement was legally binding and that no parallel negotiations or agreements could take place between individual Member States.
On Friday, the French president announced that President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and U. von der Leyen are committed to a common EU vaccine procurement strategy.
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