Finland and five other EU Member States urge Commission to ensure BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine deliveries
Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden and Denmark sent a joint letter to the European Commission calling for more efficient production of the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine and speedier delivery of vaccine batches. The letter addressed to Stella Kyriakides, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, was signed on behalf of Finland by Krista Kiuru, Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services.
The health ministers of the six Member States urged the Commission to do its utmost to increase the production of the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine and ensure the distribution of vaccine batches in accordance with the purchase agreements made by the Commission and the pre-orders and additional orders made by the EU Member States.
In their letter, the ministers expressed their serious concern over the fact that Pfizer informed the Member States unexpectedly on 14 January that it would not be able to fully meet the delivery volume of vaccine batches in January and February as initially promised. The ministers stressed that possible delivery delays would affect the rollout of vaccinations.
“The delivery schedules for vaccines and the related delays were on the agenda when the EU health ministers convened for an informal videoconference on 13 January. At the conference, Finland together with the other Member States called on the EU to take action to ensure the delivery of vaccines as scheduled. I also emphasised this in my letter to Commissioner Stella Kyriakides last week. The Commission should do its utmost to ensure that the deliveries remain on schedule,” says Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services Krista Kiuru.
The European Commission has convened a meeting with the Member States and the representatives of BioNTech/Pfizer for this afternoon.
Inquiries:
Sampo Varjonen, Special Adviser to Minister Kiuru, [email protected]
Tuija Kumpulainen, Director General [email protected]