COVID-19 Coronavirus: EU Commission, common strategy presented for countries to be “prepared once vaccine is found”.

A strategy to ensure we are prepared “once a vaccine is found” and to guarantee that it is distributed and inoculated as efficiently and effectively as possible. This is the aim of the vaccination strategy for vaccine deployment presented today by Vice-President Margaritis Schinas and Commissioner Stella Kyriakides as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The strategy is part of a broader “Vaccines Strategy” unveiled in June, under which, for instance, the EU Commission has already signed 3 agreements with as many pharmaceutical companies to “secure the purchase of doses once the vaccine is available”. Today’s part of the strategy calls on Member States to check their “capacity” in terms of vaccination services, skilled workforce and equipment; identify priority groups for easy and affordable access to vaccines; plan ahead for an adequate transport and storage of the doses; and, finally, it calls for a clear communication campaign to “build public trust” in the safety of the vaccine. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on the subject: “A safe and effective vaccine is our best shot at beating coronavirus and returning to our normal lives. We have been working hard to make agreements with pharmaceutical companies and secure future doses. Now, we must ensure that once a vaccine is found, we are fully prepared to deploy it”.
Valentina Bombelli