EU calls for effective vaccination strategy and vaccines deployment

As Europe moves to the next stage of COVID-19 pandemic, Commission calls countries to follow common vaccination strategy and approaches. Europe learns to live with the pandemic. The development and swift global deployment of safe and effective vaccines against COVID-19 remains an essential element in the eventual solution to the public health crisis.

In this context, the Commission is working to ensure that there will be access to safe vaccines across Europe. EU encourages a coordinated approach of vaccination strategy for deployment of the vaccines. Commission presented the key elements to be taken into consideration by Member States for their COVID-19 vaccination strategy. EU calls states to prepare European citizens for when a safe and effective vaccine is available. Also EU Members have to prepare priority groups to consider for vaccination first.

A safe and effective vaccine is our best shot at beating coronavirus and returning to our normal lives.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission

EU President, Ursula von der Leyen, said: “We have been working hard to make agreements with pharmaceutical companies and secure future doses. Now, we must ensure that once a vaccine is found, we are fully prepared to deploy it. With our Vaccination Strategy, we are helping EU countries prepare their vaccination campaigns: who should be vaccinated first, how to have a fair distribution and how to protect the most vulnerable. If we want our vaccination to be successful, we need to prepare now.”

Commission tells countries to get ready to roll out coronavirus vaccines

Vice-President for Promoting the European Way of Life, Margaritis Schinas, said: “While the evolution of the pandemic is getting back to March levels, our state of preparedness is not. Today we are adopting a milestone in the ongoing EU response to the COVID-19 pandemic; the aim is to ensure safe, affordable and accessible COVID-19 vaccines for all in the EU, once they will become available. It is only by acting together that we will avoid the cacophony and be more efficient than in the past.”

Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, said: “It is with great concern that I am witnessing the increasingly rapid rise of infection rates all across the EU. Time is running out – everyone’s first priority should be to do what it takes to avoid the devastating consequences of generalised lockdowns. And we must all prepare for the next steps. The vaccine will not be a silver bullet, but it will play a central role to save lives and contain the pandemic. And when and if a safe and efficient vaccine is found, we need to be prepared to roll it out as quickly as possible, including building citizens’ trust in its safety and efficacy. Vaccines will not save lives – vaccinations will.”

Advance Purchase Agreements

In line with the 17 June EU Vaccination Strategy, the European Commission and Member States are securing the production of vaccines against COVID-19 through Advance Purchase Agreements with vaccine producers in Europe. Any vaccine will need authorization by the European Medicine Agency according to regular safety and efficacy standards. Member States should now start preparing a common vaccination strategy for vaccine deployment.

The EU and the WHO urge European countries to take measures now to avoid a new confinement.

Member States should, among others, ensure:

• capacity of vaccination services to deliver COVID-19 vaccines, including skilled workforce and medical and protective equipment;
• easy and affordable access to vaccines for target populations;
• deployment of vaccines with different characteristics and storage and transport needs. In particular in terms of cold chain, cooled transport and storage capacity;
• clear communication on the benefits, risks and importance of COVID-19 vaccines to build public trust.

Vulnerable groups

All Member States will have access to COVID-19 vaccines at the same time on the basis of population size. The overall number of vaccine doses will be limited during the initial stages of deployment and before production can be ramped up. The Communication therefore provides examples of priority groups once COVID-19 vaccines become available, including:

• healthcare and long-term care facility workers;
• persons over 60 years of age;
• persons whose state of health makes them particularly at risk;
• essential workers;
• persons who cannot socially distance;
• more disadvantaged socio-economic groups.

Whilst awaiting the arrival of approved vaccines against COVID-19, and in parallel to safeguarding the continuation of other essential healthcare and public health services and programmes, the EU must continue mitigating the transmission of the virus. This can be done through the protection of vulnerable groups and ensuring that citizens adhere to public health measures. Until then and most likely also throughout the initial vaccination rollout phases, non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as physical distancing, closure of public places and adapting the work environment, will continue to serve as the main public health tools to control and manage COVID-19 outbreaks.

EU Council foghts COVID19

At the Special European Council meeting of 2 October, Member States called on the Council and Commission to further step up the overall coordination effort. Also EU countries asked about the progress on the development and distribution of vaccines at EU level.

ECDC fights COVID-19

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) published its updated risk assessment regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. EU Members have a set of guidelines for non-pharmaceutical interventions (such as hand hygiene, physical distancing, cleaning and ventilation). Also on 15th October, ECDC published a common map to coordinate the COVID-19 EU traffic lights system.

As stressed by President von der Leyen in the State of the Union 2020 Address, Europe needs to continue to handle the COVID-19 pandemic with extreme care, responsibility and unity. EU Chief urged to use the lessons learnt to strengthen the EU’s crisis preparedness and management of cross-border health threats.

Prevention, preparedness and response measures ahead vaccination strategy

On 15 July, the Commission adopted a Communication on short-term EU health preparedness. EU mentioned on Member States to have prevention, preparedness and response measures. Recommendations aim to control future COVID-19 outbreaks, in the areas of e.g. testing, contact tracing and health system capacities. The effective implementation of these measures requires coordination and effective information exchange between Member States. The recommendations in the Vaccination Strategy are still relevant and Member States have to follow them.

One of the main action points necessary for Europe to overcome the coronavirus pandemic is accelerating the development, manufacturing, and deployment of COVID-19 vaccines. The EU’s Vaccines strategy published in June charts the way forward.

Vaccine safety in vaccination strategy

Vaccine safety, quality and efficacy are the cornerstones of any vaccine development and authorisation process. All vaccine developers submit extensive documentation and data to the European Medicines Agency through the EU Marketing Authorisation procedure. After authorisation, EU law requires that the safety of the vaccine as well as its effectiveness be monitored. Further evidence will need to be centrally collected to assess the impact and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines once rolled out in the population from a public health perspective. This will be key to overcoming the pandemic and instilling confidence in Europeans.