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