The EU strengthens its readiness for a potential flu pandemic. A new contract, signed by the European Commission, offers 17 countries the opportunity to buy over 27 million vaccine doses.
The agreement with Seqirus UK Ltd. ensures the supply of Foclivia, a vaccine that protects against flu when a pandemic is officially declared by the WHO or the EU. A flu pandemic occurs when a new flu virus spreads rapidly because people have no immunity. Although predicting a pandemic is difficult, this contract is part of the Commissions broader strategy to enhance EU preparedness and response.
This contract builds on previous agreements with CSL Seqirus in 2019 and GSK in 2022, allowing participating countries to purchase vaccines during a pandemic.
The contract is valid for 48 months and can be renewed twice for 12 months each.
Background
The Commission is committed to strengthening a resilient European Health Union prepared for health threats. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of coordination and a common response to cross-border health threats.
The EUs joint procurement mechanism is set out in the Joint Procurement Agreement for Medical Countermeasures, signed by 38 countries, including all EU and EEA member states. This mechanism enables joint procurement of medical countermeasures.
This procurement mechanism promotes equitable access to medical countermeasures, improves supply security, and increases the preparedness of participating countries against health threats.
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