Europe

Pharmaceutical companies that manufacture vaccines against the coronavirus say they only sell directly to governments.

In total, Germany expects 56.3 million doses from AstraZeneca under the EU contract, which is equal to 18.7% of 300 million doses for the EU.

Commission president responds to fresh criticism over shortages of vaccine doses in bloc.

The expected shortfall, which has not previously been reported, follows a big reduction in supplies in the first quarter and could hit the EU’s ability to meet its target of vaccinating 70% of adults by summer.

Boris Johnson has said that the UK government is considering whether to introduce so-called “vaccine passports”.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tasked Michael Gove with leading a review into the possible use of vaccine certificates - or domestic vaccine passports - for businesses in the UK.

Patients’ access to drugs with rebates in Switzerland - Empirical analysis and policy implications for drug pricing in Europe.

Data analyzed by Public Health England (PHE) showed that Pfizer provided high levels of protection against infection and symptomatic disease from a single dose, and that hospitalization and death from COVID-19 will be reduced by more 75%.

With EU countries lagging someway behind the UK in vaccinations - you might have thought people there would be keen to have any kind of jab.

The contribution consists of a 300 million euro grant and 200 million euros in guarantees by the European Fund for Sustainable Development plus (EFSD+) that will back a loan by the European Investment Bank.

Under the confidential contract, only parts of which had previously been disclosed, the EU has agreed to pay approximately 2.9 euros ($3.5) per dose, in line with Reuters’ earlier reports of a price of about 2.5 euros.

The German contribution would increase international funds for vaccines, drugs and tests by over 30 percent.

The news came only hours after Pfizer and BioNTech said they had signed a deal to deliver an additional 200 million vaccine doses to the bloc.

German leaders agreed last week to tighten the threshold for a gradual reopening of the economy, targeting an infection rate of under 35 new cases per 100,000 people over seven days, down from 50 previously.

Hungary’s rightwing government, a strong critic of the slow EU rollout, has been the first of the 27 member states to buy and authorise Russian and Chinese vaccines not yet approved by Brussels.