© AP
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The European Commission on Sunday reached an agreement with vaccine manufacturers Pfizer and BioNTech to accelerate the delivery of booster vaccines as the omikron variant spreads rapidly in Europe. In the first quarter of 2022, 20 million additional doses will be delivered.
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evdgSource: BELGIAN
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The first 5 million units will be delivered in January, another 5 million in February and the remaining 10 million in March, the Commission, which negotiates with vaccine manufacturers on behalf of the 27 Member States, said in a press release.
The deal is expected to deliver 215 million doses to the EU in the first three months of next year. Earlier this week, a similar agreement was signed with Moderna. Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna booster shots are currently approved in the EU.
“This is especially good news for those Member States that need additional doses in the short term,” the Commission said. “Given the expected rapid increase in infections from the omikron variant, this is now more urgent than ever.”
The Commission also reports that it has taken an option to order more than 200 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech. The contract also includes vaccines that are adapted to the omikron variant, if they were to be marketed. “With this order, the EU is preparing if modified vaccines are needed,” the press release said. The 200 million doses are expected to be delivered from the second quarter of 2022.
According to figures from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), 67 percent of the entire population is fully vaccinated. However, the percentage is lower in several Member States, while most governments are now starting the booster campaign. Experts see the booster shot as the best available protection against the new variant.
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