Health

Four million additional doses of Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19 hotspots

EU secures 4 million more Pfizer, BioNTech doses to target Covid-19 ‘hotspots’ announced European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The European Commission has reached an agreement with BioNTech-Pfizer for the supply of four million more doses of COVID-19 vaccines for Member States in the next two weeks in order to tackle coronavirus hotspots and to facilitate free border movement.

The President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said: “To tackle aggressive variants of the virus and to improve the situation in hotspots, quick and decisive action is necessary. I’m happy to announce today an agreement with BioNTech-Pfizer, who will offer to Member States to make available a total of four million doses of vaccines before the end of March which will be supplied in addition to the planned dose deliveries. This will help Member States in their efforts to keep the spread of new variants under control. Through their targeted use where they are most needed, in particular in border regions, these doses will also help ensure or restore free movement of goods and people. These are key for the functioning of health systems and the Single Market.”

A new series of COVID-19 hotspots across the EU

The Commission is following closely the evolution of the epidemiological situation in Member States. Despite the current reduction in the number of deaths across the EU, due to vaccination of the elderly and most vulnerable people, the Commission is concerned by the development of a series of COVID-19 hotspots across the EU. This is caused, in particular, by the spread of new variants, which are more contagious. The BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine has proven highly effective against all currently known variants of the COVID-19 virus. Regions like Tyrol in Austria, Nice and Moselle in France, Bolzano in Italy and some parts of Bavaria and Saxony in Germany but also in many other Member States have seen numbers of infections and hospitalisations rise steeply over the past weeks, leading Member States to adopt stringent measures and even in certain cases to impose new border controls.

4 million more BioNTech-Pfizer doses

In order to support Member States in their efforts to respond to these developments, the Commission has negotiated with BioNTech-Pfizer the possibility for Member States to order supplementary vaccines doses. The increase of dose deliveries in March is a result of the successful expansion of manufacturing capacities in Europe which was completed by mid-February.

Four million doses in total will be made available for purchase to Member States, pro-rata to their population. All of these doses will be delivered before the end of March. These doses come on top of the schedule of deliveries currently agreed between Member States and BioNTech-Pfizer.

eudebates COVID-19 hotspots across the EU

EUdebates Team

SHARE your ideas online and JOIN us for a better Europe. eudebates! Your opinion counts! eudebates.tv The unique initiative aiming to promote debate, dialogue, knowledge, participation and communication among citizens.

Recent EU debates

Watch State of the Union live: Ursula von der Leyen gives 2022 address #SOTEU

President Ursula von der Leyen debates priorities ahead of hard winter at the State of the European Union #SOTEU at…

2 years ago

EU steps up solidarity with refugees fleeing Ukraine

More than two million refugees have now been forced to flee their homes in Ukraine to find safety in neighbouring…

3 years ago

REPowerEU to get rid of the dependencies of Russian fossil fuel

The European Commission proposed an outline of a plan to make Europe independent from Russian fossil fuels well before 2030, starting with gas, in…

3 years ago

EU sanctions against Russia following the invasion of Ukraine

In response to Russian President Putin’s unprecedented and unprovoked military attack against Ukraine, the EU is responding by adopting a…

3 years ago

Finland: NATO membership ‘will change’ after Russian invasion

Finish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will change the debate around NATO membership within her country.…

3 years ago

EU responds to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with massive sanctions

EU leaders held a joint press conference with NATO Secretary-General sending the message that the world can see that unity…

3 years ago

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website.