The European Union has finalized an agreement with Pfizer and BioNTech to supply an additional 300 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
A representative of the European Commission told Reuters on Monday.
The EU already received 300 million doses of Pfizer last November and announced a tentative agreement for another 300 million doses on January 8.
“The Commission approved a new contract today,” said a representative of the European Commission.
A commission official who was involved in negotiations with Pfizer said that under the new agreement, EU countries have already placed an order for 200 million doses to be delivered this year, while negotiations on a timeline for the remaining 100 million doses are ongoing.
At the same time, a Pfizer spokesman told the agency that discussions with the European Commission are ongoing.
The European Commission has been heavily criticized over the past few weeks after vaccine suppliers, including Pfizer, announced a delay in the supply of drugs for the first three months of the year.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen acknowledged that the EU leadership underestimated the potential problems with vaccine supply in their planning.