EU and Pfizer review Covid-19 vaccine contract

The European Union (EU) and BioNTech-Pfizer agreed to reduce the amount and extend the delivery time in the contract for the purchase of vaccines against Covid-19 that they made during the epidemic.

The EU Commission announced that an agreement has been reached as a result of contract modification negotiations with BioNTech-Pfizer for the purchase of Covid-19 vaccines on behalf of 27 member countries.

In the statement, it was indicated that the EU and the vaccine developer BioNTech-Pfizer agreed to the changes in the contract in line with the new needs.

In the statement, which indicated that the modification made to the current vaccine supply contract takes into account the improvement of the epidemiological situation, it was noted that access to the vaccine will continue in the event that worrisome variants of Covid-19 emerge in the future. .

DUE TO DECREASE IN DEMAND, A CONTRACT CHANGE WAS REQUESTED

In the statement, it was indicated that with the modification, the number of vaccine doses that member countries will receive in the current vaccine contract has decreased, and that the doses in the initial contract will become optional doses for a certain fee. .

The statement indicated that the period during which member countries can receive the vaccines has also been extended, and it was indicated that these doses can be supplied up to 4 years later.

EU countries were demanding changes to the Covid-19 vaccine contracts made by the Commission with manufacturers due to the decline in demand for vaccines.

In 2021, the EU signed the third contract with BioNTech-Pfizer for the purchase of 1.8 billion doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, with 900 million optional doses until the end of 2023.

THE NUMBER TO PAY FOR CANCELLATION IS NOT SHARED

Almost half of the 900 million doses of this contract were not delivered due to lack of demand.

Furthermore, the EU did not implement the additional purchase option in the contract.

With the contract change, the number of doses that the EU has committed to buy is decreasing. However, the EU has to pay a fee for each canceled dose.

The price of the vaccines in question is not shared, nor is the amount to be paid for cancellation.

The EU Commission had procured large quantities of vaccines from some drug and vaccine manufacturers in the fight against the Covid-19 epidemic. The Commission had made its heaviest contract for the supply of Covid-19 vaccines with Pfizer-BioNTech. (AA)