The European Union is strengthening its preparedness for a potential flu pandemic. A new joint procurement contract, signed by the European Commission, through the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority, offers 17 countries the possibility to purchase up to 27,403,200 pandemic influenza vaccine doses.
The agreement, concluded with pharmaceutical company Seqirus UK Ltd., secures supplies of Foclivia, a vaccine to protect against flu when a pandemic has been officially declared by the World Health Organization or the European Union. A flu pandemic occurs when a new type (strain) of flu virus can spread easily from person to person because people have no immunity against it. While it is difficult to predict an influenza pandemic, today's joint procurement framework contract is part of the Commission's wider work on strengthening EU-level preparedness and response to protect the health of citizens.
This joint procurement builds on a previous agreement signed with CSL Seqirus in 2019 and an agreement signed with GSK in 2022 under which participating countries can purchase vaccine doses in the event of an influenza pandemic.
The framework contract is concluded for a period of 48 months. It can be further renewed two times for 12 months each.
Background
The Commission is committed to strengthening a resilient and responsive European Health Union that is better equipped to address emerging health threats. The COVID-19 pandemic showed the importance of coordination and the added-value of a common response in face of cross-border health threats.
The EU's mechanism of joint procurement is laid down in the EU's Joint Procurement Agreement for Medical Countermeasures, which is signed by 38 countries, including all EU and EEA Member States. The mechanism allows the participating countries to jointly procure medical countermeasures on a voluntary basis. These countermeasures include vaccines, therapeutics, medical devices, and these can be used as an alternative or to complement to procurement at national level.
This purchasing mechanism enhances equitable access to medical countermeasures, improves the security of supply as well as the preparedness of the participating countries against health threats.
