Spain to buy 30 million 'Oxford vaccines' against Covid-19

Scientists at Oxford University (UK) are at the clinical trials stage of the vaccine they are developing for the pharmaceutical company Astrazeneca, and which is said to be farther ahead than most other research projects in the same area.

According to the European Commission, purchase and distribution of the Oxford vaccine will be spread out 'fairly' across the bloc, based upon the population size of each country and their epidemiological data.

Spain is said to have bought 30 million doses of the vaccine 'off-plan', meaning there will be enough for two-thirds of the population.

The European Commission's negotiating committee is, however, still in talks with other pharmaceutical companies which are developing alternative vaccines, in order to ensure that all the EU's inoculation needs – and those of third countries – can be met.

Spain's health ministry says two of these negotiations are 'at a very advanced stage now' and that the companies involved are due to present an 'official proposal very shortly'.

This is as a result of Spain's having joined the European Vaccine Strategy in July – a scheme which aims to establish a unique continent-wide position that guarantees universal and fair access to the vaccine to protect the bulk of the population.

Astrazeneca is currently testing the Oxford vaccine on patients worldwide for safety and efficiency, involving around 10,000 volunteers.

The Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical firm says it is aiming to have 100 million vaccine doses ready for the USA, another 100 million for the European Union and 30 million for the UK by the end of the year.

This will mean roughly one in five residents in the EU-27 will be able to be inoculated, based upon an estimated total headcount of 447 million, according to World Bank statistics.

If, by September, the definitive results of the trials and testing are positive, Astrazeneca calculates it would be able to reach a production of 2.1 billion vaccines, and is researching how it could increase this further.

“To accelerate the process, we have agreed to transfer the technology to other countries, which have now started to produce the vaccine for trials,” the firm says.

The first countries to sign up to the European Vaccine Strategy were Germany, France, Italy and The Netherlands, although all 27 member States are able to do so.

“Many countries worldwide already have their vaccine guaranteed, but not Europe yet,” German health minister Jens Spahn said back in June.

“The swift coordination of a group of member States will offer added value to all EU citizens in the face of this crisis.

“Together with the European Commission, we want to be even quicker and stronger in future negotiations.”