Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands have signed an agreement with the pharmaceutical group AstraZeneca to guarantee the supply to the EU of 300 million doses of a possible vaccine against the coronavirus, announced Saturday June 13 the German government. The Italian government refers to the figure of 400 million doses. 

The four countries have signed an agreement with the group, born in 1999 from the merger of the Swedish Astra and the British Zeneca, which provides for the supply of all the member countries of the European Union as soon as a vaccine against Covid -19 will be discovered, said the German Ministry of Health.

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The development of a vaccine could be successfully completed by the end of the year, German government sources told AFP.

Distribution to all EU member countries

The doses "must be distributed to all member states that want to participate, depending on the size of their population," the ministry said.

"In order for the vaccines to be available in large numbers very quickly after their possible approval this year or next year, production capacities must be guaranteed by contract now," he said.

The European Commission had defended the idea on Friday with EU countries to come together to guarantee privileged access to a future vaccine. She argued in particular for the establishment of advance purchase contracts.

A vaccine still far from perfect

When laboratories are trying to find a vaccine in record time, in 12 to 18 months against several years in normal times, these advances on payment would allow them to invest in production capacities, while clinical trials on humans are not yet finalized.

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This commitment would give Member States the right to buy a certain number of doses at a certain price once the vaccine is available, in return for the risk taken in terms of investments.

Major pharmaceutical groups are engaged in a race to develop a vaccine against the coronavirus, which has so far killed more than 417,000 people and infected more than 7.4 million people worldwide.

With AFP and Reuters

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