The COVID-19 vaccine is also produced in Lithuania, but we are not negotiating it: another path has been chosen

“Do you know that Thermo Fisher Scientific is producing a COVID vaccine for the US market in Lithuania and is even, as I understand it, building an extension for the Modernos and Phizer vaccines? Are they negotiating with them so that we can buy the vaccine, which will be produces here in Lithuania, so that we can get it earlier?

The minister replied that European regulations did not allow this type of negotiation.

“Member States that have joined the EU through a joint purchasing mechanism cannot negotiate individually with producers. This is a condition that is imposed on Member States. Because there may be a plant in Lithuania, there is other plants in Germany and France, and all the countries where such a producer would appear would be interested in negotiating. These processes had begun. The Commission has stopped them and a common mechanism has been established to avoid any kind of supervision, so that all Member States have equal access to vaccines for their populations.

In answer to your question, no, we do not negotiate, if we started doing that, we would get out of the common EU purchasing mechanism, “said A. Veryga.

Lithuania participates in European procurement

Delfi recalls that Lithuania participates in the European purchase of COVID-19 vaccines. On Wednesday, it was decided to sign contracts with the seven producers. It is expected to vaccinate 70 percent. populations of the country.

Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis said the vaccines will cost a maximum of 125 million. euros.

The Head of Government also reported that if Lithuania had a surplus of vaccines, negotiations would start with the Eastern Partnership countries so that the vaccines could be sold to them. This is allowed by the agreement of the European Commission with the manufacturers.