Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel and Ursula von der Leyen are "determined to continue" the collective strategy of purchasing vaccines by the European Union, recently attacked in particular in Germany, the Elysee said on Friday January 8.

"This European coordination must cover both vaccine orders and production sites in Europe," added the Élysée in a press release, after successive appeals from the French President to the German Chancellor and then to the President of the Commission European.

>> To see: Europe: vaccination at several speeds

"These two calls made it possible to underline the importance and relevance of the European vaccine procurement strategy, which allows the 27 and the Commission to negotiate, by collective force, a diversified and safe portfolio of vaccines, significant volumes and at better prices ", underlines the Presidency.

Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel "are determined to pursue this strategy, within a European framework, and on the basis of a robust and fair allocation mechanism," assured the Elysee, stressing that there was "a perfect community of views "with the head of the EU.

Accelerator

The strategy of the European executive was recently attacked, some in Germany reproaching it in particular for not having reserved enough doses - 300 million - of the vaccine of Pfizer-BioNTech.

The Commission is in the process of negotiating the delivery of additional doses for this vaccine, without wanting to give a figure, but argues that it wanted to maximize its chances of fighting the virus by negotiating with a range of laboratories.

>> To read: Covid-19: WHO warns against "vaccine nationalism"

Faced with criticism, the Twenty-Seven gave a boost to their vaccination programs on Friday, by doubling the pre-orders of doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, while awaiting the first deliveries of those from Moderna.

The EU could also authorize at the end of January a third vaccine, that of AstraZeneca / Oxford.

With AFP

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