EC approves 2nd contract with Moderna to ensure up to additional 300M doses of Covid-19 vaccine
The European Commission (EC) approved on February 17 a second contract with pharmaceutical company Moderna, which provides for an additional purchase of 300 million doses (150 million in 2021 and an option to purchase an additional 150 million in 2022) on behalf of all EU countries, the Commission said.
The new contract also provides for the possibility to donate the vaccine to lower and middle-income countries or to re-direct it to other European countries.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, said: “Today, we are securing 300 million additional doses of the COVID-19 vaccine produced by Moderna, which is already used for vaccination in the European Union.
“This brings us closer to our major objective: ensure that all Europeans have access to safe and effective vaccines as quickly as possible,” Von der Leyen said.
“With a portfolio of up to 2.6 billion doses, we will be able to provide vaccines not just to our citizens, but to our neighbours and partners as well,” she said
Stella Kyriakides, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, said: “The contract is important not only for the short term needs of the EU, but also for our future work to limit the rapid spread of new variants.”
The Commission said that the February 17 contract with Moderna builds upon the broad portfolio of vaccines to be produced in Europe, including the already signed contracts with BioNTech-Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Sanofi-GSK, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Curevac and Moderna.
“This diversified vaccines portfolio will ensure Europe has access to 2.6 billion doses, once the vaccines have been proven to be safe and effective,” the Commission said.
(Photo via the European Commission office in Bulgaria)
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