Pfizer to complete supply of COVID-19 vaccines to EU by September

MOSCOW, RUSSIA - JULY 31, 2020: The first vaccine to prevent coronavirus infection is developed by the Gamaleya Federal Research Centre for Epidemiology. Gam-COVID-Vac is a viral vector two-component vaccine based on human adenovirus. Dmitry Kurakin/Health Ministry of the Russian Federation/TASS Ðîññèÿ. Ìîñêâà. Âàêöèíà äëÿ ïðîôèëàêòèêè íîâîé êîðîíàâèðóñíîé èíôåêöèè COVID-19, ðàçðàáîòàííàÿ Íàöèîíàëüíûì èññëåäîâàòåëüñêèì öåíòðîì ýïèäåìèîëîãèè è ìèêðîáèîëîãèè èìåíè àêàäåìèêà Í.Ô. Ãàìàëåè Ìèíçäðàâà Ðîññèè. Ãàì-ÊÎÂÈÄ-Âàê - âåêòîðíàÿ äâóõêîìïîíåíòíàÿ âàêöèíà íà îñíîâå àäåíîâèðóñà ÷åëîâåêà. Â ãðàæäàíñêèé îáîðîò ïðåïàðàò ïîñòóïèò 1 ÿíâàðÿ 2021 ãîäà. Äìèòðèé Êóðàêèí/Ïðåññ-ñëóæáà Ìèíçäðàâà Ðîññèè/ÒÀÑÑ

The distribution of an initial 200 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech across the European Union will be completed by September, a spokesman for the EU Commission said.

The protracted timetable, which was previously unknown, confirms that the bloc, with a population of 450 million, will need vaccines from other suppliers to speed up inoculations against the new coronavirus.

Most EU countries began inoculating healthcare workers and vulnerable people on Sunday with the Pfizer vaccine, which is the only one so far authorised in the 27-nation bloc, and requires a two-dose regimen.

“Distribution of the full 200 million doses is scheduled to be completed by September 2021,” the spokesman told Reuters news agency in an emailed statement. –SOURCE -aljazeera.com/news