FROM THE ENCOUNTER IN BRUSSELS. The negotiations conducted directly by the Veneto Region with vaccine producers “are legally and politically contrary” to the European plan. The warning comes from the EU Commission, which through its spokesman sends a very clear message to the junta led by Luca Zaia, but also to all the others willing to follow Venice’s example. «The basis of our strategy – explained a spokesman, answering a specific question on the Veneto case – is to work together and not to have parallel negotiations on vaccines, which would put our strategy in difficulty. On this the Member States are in agreement ».
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The last clarification serves to reiterate that it would be up to the Rome government to intervene to curb the forward flight of the Regions, given that it was the Ministry of Health that committed itself in Brussels by signing the ban on parallel negotiations. From a theoretical point of view, governments and Regions could deal bilaterally with vaccine manufacturers who have no agreements with the Commission because this would not impact the negotiations. But this is not the case in Veneto, in contact with the pharmaceutical companies that already supply the EU.
In recent weeks, Germany had found itself in a similar situation, as it revealed that it had reached a bilateral agreement with Pfizer / BioNTech in September for the purchase of 30 million doses, two months before the signing of the EU contract. The Commission has always tried to sidetrack the issue by saying that it is in the dark, but by reiterating the prohibition of parallel negotiations. The media pressure then forced Commissioner Stella Kyriakides to send a letter requesting information to all states. Nothing is known about the German response yet.
In the coming days, the Commission could close another contract with Novavax to secure up to 200 million doses (100 plus an option for another 100). And discussions are underway between governments to divide the new 200 million dose contract (plus an option for another 100) signed with Pfizer / BioNTech: Italy would be entitled to at least 26 million doses, which could increase if which some other country gave up.
They certainly won’t arrive before the second quarter. And Johnson & Johnson’s vaccines will also have to wait. EMA’s approval is expected in March, but the company has already announced that the vial finishing process will take place in the United States, thus delaying deliveries. For this reason, more and more countries are looking to the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, already used by Hungary (which will soon also receive the first doses of the Chinese one): yesterday the Czech Republic announced its interest. The EMA however recalled that the request authorization has not yet arrived. And he called on drug companies to provide data on the effects of their vaccines on variants to prepare for any modifications that can respond to mutations.
Ursula von der Leyen yesterday defended her plan in Parliament (“The fight against the virus is a marathon, not a sprint”) and cited the Italian vaccination plan among the virtuous examples. But, as he had already done in the interview with The print last week, he admitted mistakes. In particular, he said he underestimated production problems. This is another reason why a task force has been set up, led by Commissioner Thierry Breton, who is working with the pharmaceutical industry to increase the production of vaccines. Yesterday the Frenchman visited the Belgian plant of Thermo Fisher, in Senette, which produces the vaccine of AstraZeneca. The company had justified the supply cuts by saying it had a problem at this site, but the company’s CEO assured that production has never slowed down.
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