BELGIUM —In a proactive move to prepare for future disease outbreaks, the European Commission has entered into a contract with a group of four vaccine producers.
The EU executive announced this significant agreement on Friday, signaling the bloc’s commitment to learn from the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic that shook the European Union and brought about a scramble to control the virus’s spread through stringent social restrictions.
The contract, valued at €160 million (US$174.2 million) per year, involves renowned pharmaceutical company Pfizer, Spanish vaccine manufacturers HIPRA and CZ vaccines, and Dutch company Bilthoven Biologicals. It secures a manufacturing capacity of 325 million vaccine doses annually.
Notably, the contract encompasses various types of vaccines, including mRNA vaccines, which were at the forefront of the COVID-19 vaccination campaigns, as well as viral vector and protein-based shots.
Moreover, the agreement is designed to be flexible regarding the types of infectious diseases that the vaccines can target, ensuring adaptability in the face of evolving threats.
The European Union aims to avoid a repeat of the situation during the previous pandemic, where it faced intense competition with the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries to secure limited vaccine supplies.
This new deal seeks to establish a rapid and efficient distribution of vaccines in the event of a future emergency.
Under the terms of the contract, the EU proactively reserves and pays for vaccine production capacity from pharmaceutical companies.
In return, these companies commit to delivering a predetermined number of vaccine doses in the event of a pandemic situation.
Essentially, the bloc invests in unused vaccine capacity during normal times to ensure preparedness and mitigate risks during emergencies.
This arrangement was established as part of the EU FAB program, which is managed by the European Health Emergency Response Authority, the bloc’s pandemic preparedness body.
The program was launched in April 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and this contract represents its first commercial outcome.
It is worth noting that the European Union already has similar agreements in place to reserve manufacturing capacity for avian influenza vaccines with pharmaceutical giants GlaxoSmithKline and Seqirus.
Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, is considered a significant potential candidate for the next global pandemic.
By securing manufacturing capacity for a range of vaccines, the EU demonstrates its commitment to being well-prepared for future outbreaks and ensuring the health and safety of its citizens.
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