Coronavirus Covid-19: the EU buys another 300 million vaccines from BioNTech-Pfizer

The European order for doses of vaccines from BioNTech-Pfizer has been increased by another 300 million doses (twice as many as the initially-planned number). It was announced at a press conference by Ursula von der Leyen, president of the EU Commission, herself. 75 million doses of this new lot will be available in the second quarter of 2021. “We are safe only if everyone has the vaccine” and “we are stronger when we pull through together”: these are the two principles that guide the EU Commission’s efforts and that have led to entering into European agreements with 6 of the “most promising” pharmaceutical companies (two vaccines have been approved so far) to provide 2.3 billion doses to Europe. So many, because “we don’t think of ourselves only, we also think of the EU’s neighbouring countries”, von der Leyen repeatedly pointed out. Asked about Germany’s order for additional doses for itself, the president of the EU Commission answered: “No European country can negotiate or have parallel agreements with the 6 pharmaceutical companies for the purchase of vaccines. There is a legally binding framework for the 37 countries”. Until now, BioNTech-Pfizer and Moderna supplied 380 million doses, enough to vaccinate 80% of the population, von der Leyen explained; today, BioNTech-Pfizer’s share is increasing, because the EU “invested (100 million euros) in the implementation of the manufacturing capacity of the pharmaceutical companies, and this has now enabled us to double up the number”.
Valentina Bombelli