Belgium could order Pfizer vaccine “as early as next week”
Belgian health minister Frank Vandenbroucke (Flemish socialist) has said that Belgium will probably decide next week whether it will place an order for the coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. First indications suggest the vaccine protects 9 out of 10 people from this troublesome disease.
Orders will be placed via the European commission that is expected to sign a contract for 200 million doses on Wednesday and take an option on a further 100 million doses. An accord in principle already exists but needs to be formalised. Belgium can then decide next week whether it wants to sign up to part of this deal.
Belgium has already signed up to orders for the Oxford/AstraZeneca and Johnson&Johnson orders. Belgium can also sign up to a contract the European commission has negotiated with Sanofi-GSK.
Belgium’s Federal Medicines and Health Products Agency is to formulate a recommendation with regard to the Pfizer vaccine by Monday. A go-ahead from the European Medicines agency is also needed.