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Vaccination of a subject with a Pfizer vaccine (May of this year): EU draws options to purchase additional lots
Photo: AP
The EU states are to receive more corona vaccines than previously planned.
As SPIEGEL learned from EU circles, the EU Commission is currently preparing to redeem the contractually agreed options for the purchase of an additional 180 million vaccine doses.
The plan is to purchase 80 million more cans from the US manufacturer Moderna and 100 million from the German company Biontech and its US partner Pfizer.
The EU Commission, which purchases vaccines for all EU member states, has so far concluded contracts with six manufacturers.
Moderna should deliver 80 million doses, Biontech and Pfizer 200 million.
In the event that these quantities cannot meet demand, options were provided to purchase additional batches.
The Commission now wants to pull it because of the great need that is emerging.
Another reason could be that Sanofi-GSK and AstraZeneca - which are expected to deliver the largest quantities at 300 million doses each - have recently suffered setbacks in their vaccine development.
This has sparked fears among experts that there could be bottlenecks in the EU in the coming months.
More than three billion euros in addition
The vaccine from Biontech and Pfizer is said to cost 15.50 euros per dose, according to unconfirmed information, and that of Moderna around 21 euros.
The price for the 180 million additional cans would be a good 3.2 billion euros.
The vaccine from Moderna is expected to be approved in the EU in mid-January, the one from Biontech and Pfizer on December 21 - eight days earlier than planned, as the responsible European Medicines Agency (EMA) announced on Tuesday.
The EU Commission then has to give its approval, although this is considered a formality that, as an exception, should take place within a few hours.
This means that the EU countries could start vaccinations before Christmas Eve.
The UK, USA and Canada have already started administering the vaccine, but due to an emergency approval.
In contrast, the EU relied on regular approval, which takes longer but also offers more security.
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