Following a presentation by the Commission on the status of COVID-19 vaccines, the Committee on Environment and Public Health (ENVI) debate with Sandra GALLINA, Deputy Director General of Health and Food safety (European Commission) on how to ensure equitable access to affordable and safe COVID-19 vaccines everywhere, for everyone who needs them, in the Europena Parliament in Brussels.

Brussels

debate

LIESE, Peter (EPP, DE)

TRILLET-LENOIR, Véronique (Renew, FR)

Coronavirus outbreak (T)

EU vaccines strategy: extracts from the debate

SOUNDBITE (English), Sandra GALLINA, European Commission, Deputy Director General of Health and Food safety , Simply said, one doesn't know which is the good boxing that is, I would say, going to be successful. We have therefore opted for a possibility to develop a portfolio with the advice of experts and scientists. You know, that was based on elements that were first of all time. Time is very important to have the vaccines that arrive I would say quickly, and that will have an authorization because it's clear that we are not cutting corners in that. We also have a second element, which is the efficaciousness and the safety of the vaccine, so in the portfolio, we are taking into consideration vaccines that have already a good profile.

SOUNDBITE (English), Sandra GALLINA, European Commission, Deputy Director General of Health and Food safety ,, We have already signed one contract, which is with AstraZeneca.

SOUNDBITE (English), Peter LIESE (EPP, DE), We need to give us assurance how we deal with the liability. It's clear we are going very fast and when there is anything coming up that nobody could expect, of course, there needs to be a risk sharing with the public and the company.

SOUNDBITE (French), V&#233;ronique TRILLET-LENOIR (RE, FR), Can you confirm that the agreements, such as the one negotiated with AstraZeneca, contain a full system of compensation with no accusation, as well as an exoneration of civil liability on the part of the company? Is it true that these agreements have a risk insurance whereby the manufacturer will be reimbursed under certain conditions.

SOUNDBITE (English), Sandra GALLINA, European Commission, Deputy Director General of Health and Food safety ,, As reannounced liability:The companies are fully liable. There is no change. So please let us stop all these press that contains incorrect information to be diplomatic. There is no change. So citizens will go to court, they will want to have their rights affirmed and they can do so.

SOUNDBITE (English), Sandra GALLINA, European Commission, Deputy Director General of Health and Food safety ,, Once you have, I will say, a conditional market authorization, which, by the way, expires after one year. So it's not that the company could stay there. The company is obliged to give all the data that will be specified and that will be required. And so, you know, in some respects, we will have many of the data that we need. But we will we are acquiring more. I would even like to say, incidentally, that we will need the monitoring of these vaccines also afterwards when we get to the full authorization.

SOUNDBITE (English), Sandra GALLINA, European Commission, Deputy Director General of Health and Food safety ,, I praised in some respects the the full member states who were so visionary that they started so early, so I would not I would not criticize them at the end of the day. As you can see, that the contract is there is there for all.

SOUNDBITE (English), Sandra GALLINA, European Commission, Deputy Director General of Health and Food safety ,, We do not pro rata that on the basis of the population, which is, I would say, very, very fair. You have a certain population and you get a certain number of vaccins, which he's corresponded to your pro rata.