European Commission seals deal for 1.8 billion more BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine doses
- The deal, covering 2021-23, also allows EU states to buy a further 900 million doses, according to EU President Ursula von der Leyen
- The EU is preparing for its future needs for booster shots, dealing with ‘possible escape variants’ and for the vaccination of children
“Happy to announce that [the European Commission] has just approved a contract for guaranteed 900 million doses,” von der Leyen tweeted.
The deal, covering 2021-23, also allows EU states to buy a further 900 million doses, according to the top EU official. “Other contracts and other vaccine technologies will follow,” she wrote.
The EU is preparing for its future needs for booster shots, dealing with “possible escape variants” and for the vaccination of children and adolescents, von der Leyen said.
Some 700 million doses will be needed as boosters and to vaccinate children and young people in 2022 and 2023, under the European Commission's calculations.
However, if a new variant emerges that the vaccine cannot address, 640 million doses would be needed to protect 70 per cent of the EU population.