Commission and Pfizer agree to modify vaccine supply contract for changing Covid-19 needs

The Commission through the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), and vaccine developers BioNTech-Pfizer, have reached an agreement to better address Member States’ assessment of the changing needs for Covid-19 vaccines. The modification of the existing vaccine supply contract “takes into account the improvement of the epidemiological situation, while continuing to guarantee access to the latest available version of the vaccine in case worrisome variants of COVID-19 appear in the future” says the Commission.

The agreement reached with Pfizer focuses on three fundamental points. Firstly, a reduction in the quantity of doses purchased by Member States under the contract is envisaged. Upon payment of a fee, the originally contracted doses will be converted to optional orders. On the other hand, an extension is established in the period of time in which the Member States will be able to receive the vaccines, up to 4 years from now;

It also creates the possibility of continuing to have access to additional doses up to the original contracted volume until the end of the contract to meet the needs, in case cases increase and the epidemiological situation deteriorates;

Finally, continued access to vaccines adapted to new variants is guaranteed as soon as authorized by regulators.

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