Covid-19: with one billion doses, the EU is the "world's leading exporter of vaccines"

In ten months, the European Union (EU) has exported more than a billion doses of anti-Covid vaccines to more than 150 countries, or half of the doses produced in Europe, the European Commission said on Monday.

“Very clearly, the EU is the world's largest exporter of vaccines,” Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a video speech on social media.

Important milestone reached in delivering # COVID19 vaccines to the world.

The EU has exported over 1 billion doses over the past 10 months.

Vaccines made in 🇪🇺 have been shipped to over 150 countries.

We are the largest exporter of # COVID19 vaccines.

https://t.co/E3wddMrPWo

- Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) October 18, 2021

The European Union began exporting vaccines at the start of the global deployment, at a time when other large producers, such as the United States, were building their own stocks and limiting their exports.

Most of the doses were sent to Japan, Turkey and Great Britain, as a result of contracts made by manufacturers with these countries.

Sales and donations to the poorest countries have so far represented only a small proportion of total exports - 87 million doses - but the European Union plans to donate "in the next few months" at least 500 million additional doses to these vulnerable countries, assured the head of the European executive.

Half of these doses would be provided to the Covax mutual aid program as part of a new contract that the EU wants to sign with a producer of messenger RNA vaccines, the other half coming from member states that have already purchased vaccines. .

Only one rejected request

Brussels announced at the end of September to extend until the end of December its mechanism for controlling exports of anti-Covid vaccines produced on the continent, in order to guarantee supplies to its member states in the face of "uncertainties" fueled by the emergence of new variants. This mechanism in force requires laboratories, before any export of vaccines outside the Union, to obtain the green light from the Member State from which the doses are shipped, with the exception of shipments to vulnerable or benefiting countries. exemptions.

This decision must then be confirmed by the Commission.

This control was instituted at the end of January to monitor in particular the shipments of the AstraZeneca laboratory, accused of not fulfilling its orders to the EU for the benefit of other countries, in particular Great Britain, at the start of the European vaccination campaign.

Between the end of January and the end of September, more than 2,600 requests for exports to 56 countries and territories (United Kingdom, Australia, United States, Chile, Canada, Israel, Japan, Turkey, etc.) were approved.

Only one has been rejected, for AstraZeneca vaccines destined for Australia.