The European Commission announced on Monday 29 March that it has published the advance purchase agreements for Covid-19 vaccines with Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech. These contracts, which involve about one million doses, had been kept secret for several months in the name of data confidentiality and business secrecy.
Like the other four contracts revealed, sensitive data has been redacted, such as the amount spent, the price of the doses, and the liability and indemnity clauses. However, it is stated that the purchase agreement with Pfizer-BioNTech is valid until 17 August 2022, i.e. for a period of 18 months.
Link to the contract with Moderna: https://bit.ly/3swyiNy
Links to the contract with Pfizer-BioNTech https://bit.ly/3u3UUVX and https://bit.ly/3rtyHPf
Accelerating deliveries
While the Commission recorded a total of 88 million doses of vaccine delivered and 64.5 million doses administered as of 28 March, Member States are still suffering from AstraZeneca’s production and delivery delays.
Discussions are still ongoing in the Committee of Permanent Representatives on a possible correction mechanism requested by Austria for the distribution of the 10 million doses delivered in advance by Pfizer-BioNTech (see EUROPE 12686/1). According to an EU source, the results of the consultations following the European Council will be presented to the Committee of Permanent Representatives on 30 March and discussed the following day.
From 29 to 31 March, the European Commission is organising a matchmaking event with more than 300 participating companies from 25 Member States, with the aim of accelerating contacts between vaccine producers and service companies, such as development and contract manufacturing organisations, filling and finishing companies, equipment manufacturers, etc.
The ECDC is studying the risk of transmission
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has published a technical report which shows that the risk of re-infection of a person who has already contracted non-variant Covid-19 is low (81% protective effect for 5-7 months).
Link to the ECDC technical study: https://bit.ly/3w8Ky95 (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)