European solidarity clear in vaccine effort – Richmond

The European Commission is committed to aiding the development of a Covid-19 vaccine and has agreed the purchase of hundreds of millions of doses of potential vaccines, a Fine Gael TD has said.

Speaking at the Oireachtas European Affairs Committee today, Deputy Neale Richmond, party spokesperson on European Affairs, said: “We should make no mistake that the European Union is committed to helping the 27 Member States through the Covid-19 crisis.

“From financial supports such as the €750 billion recovery fund, to PPE stockpiles and now supporting the vaccine effort, the EU have been working on all fronts during this crisis.

“The European Commission has mobilised €660.28 million in 2020 for the development of new vaccines, new treatments and tests for Covid-19.

“The vaccine strategy was established to secure vaccines produced in the EU and procure sufficient supplies for member states.

“Vaccine development can take more than a decade, but it is clear that we require a Covid-19 vaccine urgently.

“As such, flexibility will be shown in the EU’s regulatory framework to ensure the authorisation process for a vaccine, including clinical trials and labelling and packaging, will be accelerated but with no compromise to safety in the process.

“The EU already has agreements with AstraZeneca and Sanofi-GSK to purchase 300 million doses each of a potential vaccine, with an option to purchase a further 100 million from Astra Zeneca on behalf of Member States.

“Exploratory talks are ongoing with three further developers which could lead to the purchase of a further 605 million doses of potential vaccines.

“A €75 million loan to CureVac has been backed by the Commission to support their research and vaccine efforts also.

“Diversifying our investments in vaccines and companies is crucial to ensure we find a successful and safe vaccine for the EU, and the world. If the Covid-19 crisis has taught us anything, it is that we cannot solve the world’s biggest problems in isolation.

“No one country will be safe from Covid-19 until we all are, and thus working together to produce and fund a vaccine is the way forward in this crisis. Once again, we see European solidarity in action in the fight against Covid-19,” Deputy Richmond said.