The European Commission has secured 1.2 billion doses of potential COVID-19 vaccines to be distributed across its member states, including Malta. 

Just yesterday, the EU signed its fifth agreement with European pharmaceutical company CureVac, which will provide 225 million doses with the option of a further 180 million doses once the company has produced a vaccine proven to be safe and effective against COVID-19.

Today we authorise a new contract to buy doses of a future #COVID19 vaccine for Europeans produced by CureVac.

This is the 5th contract. We have so far secured 1.2 billion doses of potential vaccines. We are committed to ensuring access to safe, effective & affordable vaccines https://t.co/7XFkHJml34

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) November 17, 2020

This is the fifth contract signed by the EU on behalf of all member states, adding to the portfolio which already includes AstraZeneca, Sanofi-GSK, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV and BioNtech-Pfizer.

“This diversified vaccines portfolio will ensure Europe is well prepared for vaccination, once the vaccines have been proven to be safe and effective,” the EU Commission said in a press release.

“Member States can also decide to donate the vaccine to lower and middle-income countries or to redirect it to other European countries,” it said.

Just last week, the EU Commission signed a contract BioNtech-Pfizer for up to 300 million doses of a vaccine it is currently developing and which has proven to protect around 94% of people over the age of 65. 

Moreover, the EU has also agreed to a preliminary 160 million doses of the Moderna vaccine which has also proven to be around 94.5% effective and can be stored in household freezers for up to six months.

Malta is set to receive doses of a number of vaccines, including Pzifer, CureVac and Moderna.

Health Minister Chris Fearne confirmed last August that Malta has so far been allocated a total of 330,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses and said the stock should be high enough to vaccinate everyone within six months.

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