BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union is adding clauses to contracts with COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers that would allow the bloc to access updated views that could offer better protection against virus changes , three EU sources said.
Infectious mutations are spreading rapidly in the EU and around the world, with British so-called experts seeing it as commonplace on the continent.
In new contracts with vaccine manufacturers, the EU is inserting clauses that deal specifically with changes, three EU officials involved in talks with the companies told Reuters.
Vaccine manufacturers are testing their effects against modifications and are also working on a fabric that may be more effective against virus mutations.
One official said the conditions would allow the EU not to buy vaccines that are ineffective against widespread changes, and order updated versions instead. However, the source said there were unclear clauses on the definition of changes and the real legal power they would give to the EU.
The three officials said an anti-variant clause was included in a second contract that was terminated earlier in February with Pfizer and BioNTech to provide an additional 300 million doses of their COVID-19 vaccine.
Pfizer and the European Commission did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Studies have shown that the Pfizer vaccine can be effective against British and South African changes. The company is also working on an augmentation design that would be designed specifically against change.
The EU now wants to add these clauses in new procurement contracts and is considering whether to renew existing contracts, officials said.
The bloc is negotiating new supply agreements with Novavax, Valneva and Moderna to increase its vaccine reserve beyond the nearly 2.3 billion doses it has already received from six pharmaceutical companies.
On Wednesday, the EU Commission will present a series of measures to boost the EU’s preparedness against change, including new money to help see the genome of the new coronavirus and spot changes.
So far most EU countries have done very little series.
Reporting by Francesco Guarascio @fraguarascio in Brussels and Elvira Pollina in Milan; edited by Nick Macfie