EU to announce deal with Pfizer, others to reserve vaccines for future pandemic -source

[June 30, 2023]  By Maggie Fick

LONDON (Reuters) - The European Commission has contracted pharma companies including Pfizer to reserve capacity to make up to 325 million vaccines per year in case of a future global health emergency, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The agreement will be announced in Brussels around 1100 GMT, the source said. It covers mRNA, vector-based and protein-based vaccines and does not relate to existing COVID-19 vaccine agreements between the EU and vaccine makers including Pfizer.

The Commission declined to comment. Pfizer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The World Health Organization has urged governments and manufacturers to reserve up to 20% of any tests, vaccines or treatments for the global agency to distribute in poorer countries to avoid a repeat of the "catastrophic failure" during the COVID pandemic, according to a draft of a global pandemic agreement currently being discussed.

Seven-year-old Max gets a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech children vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at a children doctor's practice in Bonn, Germany, December 15, 2021. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/File Photo

(Reporting by Maggie Fick; Additional reporting by Jennifer Rigby in London;Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)

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