A healthcare professional awaits visitors at a Covid-19 vaccination center in Gelnhausen, Germany, on March 31.
Photographer: Alex Kraus / Bloomberg
Photographer: Alex Kraus / Bloomberg
The European Commission has told governments that the launch of the Covid vaccine may reach an important target sooner than expected, under new projections that depend on people’s acceptance. Shot from AstraZeneca Plc.
O The European Union’s executive arm says most member states will have enough vaccine supplies to immunize most people by the end of June, according to a memo distributed to national delegations in Brussels.
Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands will be able to fully inoculate more than 55% of their total population, according to the document seen by Bloomberg. The EU has already said it wants to immunize 70% of adults by the end of the summer, which – depending on the demographics of each member state – corresponds to around 55-60% of the total population.
Projections indicate growing confidence in Brussels that the vaccination campaign will improve after a disastrous start dominated by delays, contradictory messages and political struggles.
But uncertainty about the Astra vaccine could obscure the picture. The European Medicines Agency, the EU’s drug regulator, may indicate a potential link between the pharmacist’s injections and rare cases of blood clots, Messaggero daily reported on Tuesday, citing Marco Cavalieri, chairman of the EMA vaccine evaluation team. The UK drug regulator is also being urged to change its guidelines on the use of the vaccine in younger people, Channel 4 News report.
Divergence Vaccine
EU member states will not reach the immunity limit at the same time
Source: EU memo dated April 1
Reports of side effects of the Astra dose have already led to its temporary suspension in some EU countries last month. Although use has resumed, some governments are restricting it to certain age groups.
Vaccination centers in France said that several people eligible to be vaccinated were reluctant to have an injection of Astra, even canceling their appointments. The latest setback with Astra vaccines could prolong blockages even further, with countries across the continent struggling to contain a third wave of infections.
In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party leader reinforced his call for strict, short-term restrictions to stem the resurgence of the outbreak in the country. A two to three-week stoppage is needed to keep Germany’s incidence rate under control, said Armin Laschet. Tuesday.
The EU’s forecast document, dated April 1, details the exact number of doses that will be available to each government by the end of June. Although the overall picture is positive, some Member States, including Austria, Croatia and the Czech Republic, are projected to be left behind. Others, such as Denmark and Malta, will reach the immunity limit much sooner.
The estimates seen by Bloomberg include an agreement last week to redistribute part of an accelerated batch of deliveries to countries where supplies are in short supply.
Latecomers did not withdraw the full allocation of the coronavirus vaccines to which they were entitled under EU purchase agreements with BioNTech SE and Pfizer Inc. as well as Moderna Inc., choosing to focus on Cheaper shot by AstraZeneca Plc. With Astra deliveries delayed, these member states may face delays in reopening their economies, even after taking into account the agreed mechanism to help them catch up.
Supply surge
The EU expects a big increase in vaccine deliveries in the coming months
Source: European Commission
The commission expects vaccine deliveries to increase to around 360 million doses this quarter, up from just over 100 million in the first three months of the year.
EU commissioner Thierry Breton, who is leading efforts to increase production, said the bloc will have the ability to distribute enough doses to reach the collective level immunity until July 14, as long as the doses are injected. The date is symbolic, to coincide with Bastille Day in France.