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Vaccination sensation: EU orders 500 million additional doses - will von der Leyen make up for its failure?

2021-02-17T14:01:19.112Z


The EU has dawdled and stingy when it comes to corona vaccine, so the allegation. Now commission head Ursula von der Leyen is presenting the new plans to fight the pandemic.


The EU has dawdled and stingy when it comes to corona vaccine, so the allegation.

Now commission head Ursula von der Leyen is presenting the new plans to fight the pandemic.

Brussels - The

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen

has presented an action plan in the fight against the dreaded variants of the coronavirus *.

The aim is to have quickly adapted vaccines against the mutated viruses available in large quantities.

"New variants of the virus develop quickly, but we have to be even faster in our reaction," said von der Leyen on Wednesday in Brussels.

The plan called "Hera Incubator" addresses three areas: discovery of the mutated viruses, rapid development and approval of vaccines * and expansion of vaccine production in the EU.

In order to track down the mutated corona viruses * in a more targeted manner, the commission proposes the development of specialized tests and the increased use of so-called genome sequencing.

For this purpose, 75 million euros in EU funds are to be made available, and another 150 million euros for research into virus variants.

A network of 16 EU states and five other countries called "Vaccelerate" is intended to accelerate clinical tests - also for children and adolescents.

Von der Leyen has high hopes for the new "Hera Incubator" action plan

The second point is the rapid approval of vaccines that have been adapted to the virus mutations *.

The rules should be simplified for this purpose.

In addition, approval processes for new or rededicated vaccine factories are to be accelerated.

The Commission is also discussing a joint emergency approval at EU level, in which the EU states would jointly bear the liability risk.

So far there are emergency approvals in the EU only at the level of the member states and at your own risk.

In this way, the USA and Great Britain were able to start their vaccination campaigns several weeks earlier than the EU.

The third priority of the action plan is the rapid expansion of vaccine production in the EU.

Future delivery contracts should contain a detailed delivery schedule and proof of reliable production capacities.

The commission wants to help to discover and remedy possible supply bottlenecks among other things with raw materials.

The Commission puts up for discussion a “voluntary licensing mechanism” for technology transfer.

Video: Von der Leyen wants to prevent further bottlenecks in vaccine production

According to von der Leyen, 22 million people in the EU have so far been vaccinated against the corona virus.

Of these, 7 million people would have already received their second dose of vaccine.

So far, around 33 million cans have been delivered to the EU states, the EU Commission head added.

However, vaccination must and will be accelerated in the coming weeks and months, said von der Leyen.

Deliveries of the three vaccines approved so far in the EU would increase and more vaccines would soon be available.

Especially in Germany *, but also in other EU countries, there had been fierce criticism of the slow start of vaccination, of the EU and of Ursula von der Leyen herself in recent weeks.

New deals with Moderna, Biontech and Pfizer: At least 500 million additional vaccination doses

Von der Leyen announced on Wednesday that the EU Commission had negotiated a new contract with the US manufacturer Moderna *.

Up to 300 million more vaccine doses should be available soon.

The manufacturer Biontech and Pfizer also readjusted once again: the EU has reordered up to 300 million doses of corona vaccine.

The Commission announced this in January, but the two companies only confirmed the conclusion of the contract on Wednesday.

According to this, another 200 million doses of vaccine from Biontech and Pfizer are expected to go to the EU this year, of which 75 million in the second quarter.

There is also an option for an additional 100 million cans.

The reorder complements the contract concluded last year for the delivery of 300 million cans.

The possible total amount increases to 600 million cans.

(dpa)

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2021-02-17

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