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European Commission signs contract with Moderna for coronavirus vaccines

by AI | 24.Jan 2025 | Europe in brief AI

The European Commission has concluded a framework contract with pharmaceutical company Moderna for the purchase of its mRNA coronavirus vaccine. The agreement allows Belgium and the 16 other participating countries to purchase up to 146 million doses, the Commission announced on Friday.

(Photo: Gabriel Bouys / AFP)

Hera, the Commission’s health crisis service, signed the contract with the American pharmaceutical company on behalf of 15 member states of the European Union (including Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg), Norway, and North Macedonia.

The contract with Moderna, which has a duration of four years, provides the participating countries with the option to collectively purchase up to 146 million doses. They can decide this based on their national health situation. There is no minimum purchase obligation.

According to the Commission, the agreement will better prepare the participating countries for crisis situations and enhance the effectiveness of vaccination campaigns, especially for the most vulnerable. “This vaccine has significant advantages: It can be stored in regular freezers used for routine vaccines and delivered in pre-filled syringes,” explains European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib, responsible for Hera.