Admiting blunders in coronavirus vaccine acquisition, Von der Leyen confesses

In a bid to address the ongoing vaccine shortage in the European Union (EU), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has acknowledged mistakes in the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines and called for greater transparency from pharmaceutical companies.

Von der Leyen, comparing the EU to a tanker and a single country to a speedboat, stated that decisions involving 27 parties can take longer. She admitted that the focus was too much on the development of a vaccine and not enough on mass production.

To make up for the shortfall, the EU has requested additional doses from some manufacturers. The Brussels authority ordered up to 2.3 billion doses for the 27 EU member states from six manufacturers, including BioNTech/Pfizer and Novavax. Germany alone expected about 15.6 million mRNA vaccine doses from BioNTech/Pfizer and around 365,000 protein-based Novavax doses for the 2025/26 season.

All governments were closely involved in the negotiations with the pharmaceutical companies. The European Commission is working with member states to increase domestic vaccine production capacity.

However, some pharmaceutical companies have revised their delivery schedules downwards due to production challenges. AstraZeneca, for instance, has reduced its delivery of doses to the EU by 60%. The EU has criticized AstraZeneca for prioritizing exports to other countries over its commitments to the EU.

In an effort to ensure vaccine supplies are not diverted to Great Britain, the EU is considering invoking Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol. Von der Leyen shares email correspondence with EU member states regarding COVID-19 vaccine procurement, revealing discussions between the European Commission and pharmaceutical companies about vaccine delivery schedules.

Despite the challenges, Pfizer and Moderna have delivered more doses than promised, but not enough to meet the EU's demand. Von der Leyen suggests that unrealistic expectations may have been raised about the vaccine rollout. She has also urged pharmaceutical companies to be more transparent about their production capacities and delivery schedules.

Ursula von der Leyen's calls for transparency come as the EU seeks to ensure a swift and equitable distribution of vaccines across its member states. As the rollout continues, the EU will continue to work closely with pharmaceutical companies to overcome production challenges and meet the demands of its citizens.