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8th Dec 2023

EU leaders to discuss vaccine roll-out this month

EU leaders will discuss the vaccine roll-out before the end of January, European Council president Charles Michel said on Tuesday (5 January) after he met with Portuguese prime minister António Costa, whose country took over the EU's presidency this month.

"Before the end of January there will be a video conference of heads of state of government, so once again we can focus on the management of the Covid-19 crisis and the roll-out of vaccines," Michel said.

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EU leaders regularly held video conferences during the pandemic to coordinate efforts, but countries and the EU have in recent days been caught up in a blame-game over the sluggish roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccines.

EU countries have been lagging behind in the rate of vaccination compared to the UK, Israel, and the US.

One of the reasons is that the EU regulator, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) gave its approval only to the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine - later than authorities in the UK, Israel, and the US.

EMA is set to approve of the Covid-19 vaccine produced by US firm Moderna in the coming days.

Another reason is the varied rate of distribution. Germany received 1.3 million doses by the end of last year and vaccinated over 300,000 people as of Tuesday.

The EU has signed contracts with six vaccine producers for 2 billion doses, and the EU Commission said on Monday that it was in discussions with Pfizer/BioNTech to secure more doses beyond the 300 million covered by the current contracts.

"We cannot vaccinate if we haven't yet received the vaccines," Costa said in his remarks.

The Portuguese PM also said he was "very hopeful" that EMA can approve the vaccines it is currently examining.

"We also know that no vaccination will be approved unless it is considered safe, and we need to feel safe when we are vaccinated," he added.

He said that vaccines were also needed for a solid economic recovery.

The Portuguese EU presidency will oversee the next six months in the bloc, during which national parliaments need to approve legislation allowing the commission to borrow money on the markets for the recovery fund, and EU countries submit their national plans to tap into the €750bn reservoir.

Costa said vaccinating all Europeans was an unprecedented effort.

"I understand the anxiety. We are all sick of this threat we have been facing, Covid-19, but think back to a few months ago, when people said it was impossible to have a vaccine soon but look at us now," he said.

Portugal began vaccinating the elderly on Monday, but most of the vaccines will be administered in the second and third quarter of 2020, and the vaccination plan will go into early next year, Costa warned.

"We all need to be aware that the discovery of the vaccine, the production, its acquisition, its distribution and then the administration of the vaccine cannot be done in a single day, it is a process," he said.

EU rolls out vaccine, as UK-variant spreads

Most EU member states began rolling out the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against Covid-19 on Sunday, as a more contagious variant from the UK begins to spread on the continent.

EU defends its slower vaccine authorisation

After the UK approved the use of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer/BioNtech, the pressure is mounting on the EU. But how are these vaccines approved in the bloc - and what is the legal liability?

EU outlines vaccine roll-out plan

The European Commission urged member states to scale up efforts to flatten the curve of the second wave of Covid-19 and recommended common measures for the roll-out of potential vaccines.

EU agency authorises Moderna vaccine amid blame-game

The European Medicines Agency has authorised the use of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by US company Moderna - while the EU is involved in a blame-game over a sluggish vaccine rollout across member states.

Agenda

EU leaders seek to speed up vaccinations This WEEK

EU leaders talk vaccines, while the Portugues EU presidency introduces itself to MEPs. Joe Biden will be inaugurated as president of the United States, and the EU hopes this will mark a new beginning for EU-US relations.

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