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All EU member states will have access to COVID-19 vaccines at the same time, depending on the size of the population, the European Commission said in a press release Thursday.
According to the document, as of October 11, more than 4 million cases of coronavirus have been detected in the European Union and the United Kingdom. At the same time, it is “imperative” that member countries follow a vaccination strategy.
“Since they will be available and authorized at the EU level, all Member States will have access to COVID-19 vaccines at the same time,” the European Commission said.
To this end, the European Commission is negotiating the purchase of vaccines for all EU member states and has so far concluded three contracts that will allow the purchase of vaccines, when effective, with Astra Zeneca, Sanofi-GSK and Johnson & Johnson.
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AstraZeneca: 300 million doses
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Sanofi-GSK: 300 million doses
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Johnson & Johnson: 200 million doses
The Commission is also discussing similar deals with other companies, including CureVac, Moderna and BioNTech / Pfizer, this month.
As the total number of vaccine doses will be limited during the early stages and production is not yet at full capacity, there will be certain groups of people who will be vaccinated with priority:
- workers in health and long-term care units;
- People over 60 years;
- people who are particularly at risk due to their health (obesity, hypertension, asthma, heart conditions, pregnant women);
- workers who provide essential services (teachers, daycare workers, agricultural and food workers, transportation personnel, police and people involved in urgent actions);
- people who cannot practice social distance (homes, prisons, refugee camps);
- Socioeconomically disadvantaged groups (to be determined by each country according to national circumstances).
With regard to the preparation of this common strategy, the European Commission has given some guidance. Therefore, EU member states must ensure that there is the capacity to administer vaccines and have qualified personnel and medical protective equipment.
An important detail: access to vaccines must be easy and affordable. At the same time, authorities must communicate the benefits and risks of COVID-19 vaccines to gain the public’s trust.
The Commission also states that each country can decide which groups should be vaccinated first, but must consider two issues: protecting the most vulnerable and slowing or possibly stopping the spread of the disease.
Publisher: GC
