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February 17, 2021 "I am pleased to announce that we have entered into a new contract with Moderna for an additional 300 million doses" of the Covid-19 vaccine. 



This was stated at a press conference by the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

The European Commission, the Financial Times explained, has signed an agreement for another 150 million doses of the Moderna vaccine this year and has optioned another 150 million for next year.

As part of the operation to increase the number of doses available for the countries of the block, there is also the close agreement confirmed by Pfizer-BioNTech to go from 300 to 500 million doses, with an option for an additional 100.



No to bilateral contracts

"On the basis of the contracts we have, Member States should not negotiate bilaterally with pharmaceutical companies" and "I have not been informed of contracts" concluded by individual states with pharmaceutical companies, said the president of the Commission.

"We have decided to act as the EU" by leveraging "the weight of the 27 member states", he added. 



Extremely risky to buy from brokers

"I have heard of doses offered" outside the contractual channels concluded by the EU and "I want to give a warning: beware of pseudo-vaccines" because it is "extremely risky to accept offers from alleged brokers", he said. added the EU leader.

"There are zero guarantees that the vaccine is in the vial" and "you have no idea of ​​the journey he has made, if the cold chain is respected," added von der Leyen.

"In a crisis like this, there will always be those who seek to reap the benefits", warned the president who sounded the alarm of the "growing risk of these frauds".



Zaia: if vaccines are the solution we have an ethical duty to look for them

"If it is true that vaccines are the solution, then we have an ethical duty to look for them. Without any institutional opposition, and the country must buy them on the market". 



Thus the president of Veneto Luca Zaia today during the press conference in which he stressed that "if there are channels and if it is confirmed that the proposed vaccines are not distilled water: Italy must absolutely accelerate and do as the other countries that they buy on the free market ". 



"Veneto is absolutely collaborative and that is why it requested the authorization from AIFA for the purchase which then diverted us to Commissioner Arcuri. But the vaccines that eventually purchased on the market, in an absolutely legal way, will have to be precisely verified and - explained Zaia - Arcuri himself told me 'if they are good how can you say no to 27 million doses ...' ", revealed the president of the Region. 



Regarding the purchase of vaccines by Veneto, the president of the Region also explained that "we have the collaboration of colleagues from Lombardy, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Emilia Romagna, Trentino Alto Adige and now from the Marche".

And again the governor of Veneto underlined: "Here the essential element is time: if we can vaccinate all citizens, in three to four months we will have a Covid-free Veneto and so we can leave before others who are waiting the vaccines".