The European Union’s (EU) offer to China several months ago to send Covid-19 vaccines is still valid, European Commission (EC) press representative Dana Spinanta said on Tuesday.
European Commissioner for Health Stella Kyriakides has “contacted the Chinese authorities and made this offer,” European Commission press secretary Tim McPhee added.
Vaccine supplies will depend on the response of Chinese authorities, he said.
The EU is considering a coordinated approach for passengers arriving from China. Several member states, including France, Italy and Spain, have established an obligation for these passengers to undergo testing.
Many EU countries have a surplus of mRNA-type vaccines, especially those produced by “BioNTech” and “Pfizer”. Scientific studies have found that they are more effective against Covid-19 than inactivated virus vaccines developed and used by China.
When asked about the Financial Times report that the EU has offered China vaccines for free, McPhee said he didn’t have “specific details on the format in which this will ultimately happen.”
