Health Min Says GER To Recieve 130mn+ Doses Of Pfizer & Moderna Vaccine

Health Minister Jens Spahn has stated that Germany is set to receive over 130mn doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines as public pressure on European leaders grows regarding what some are saying has been a slow rollout of the vaccine. Spahn has said that he expects the first deliveries of the Moderna vaccine to Germany next week.

• The EMA is expected to announce its approval of the US-led Moderna vaccine, which uses a similar mRNA process to the already approved Pfizer/BioNtech jab.
• The leaders of EU institutions had fought hard to keep all countries in line in terms of the rollout of a vaccine, stopping one country launching its own efforts before others. Now, though, with countries such as the US, Israel, Russia, and the UK accelerating their vaccination programmes, while EU countries are lagging behind somewhat.
• This has led to criticism within some member states that the virus could be better controlled and lives saved if the vaccine rollout was dealt with at the national rather than supranational level. Germany's Bild called the EU rollout a "vaccine disaster", while senior politicians from the governing CDU will have an eye on the autumn's federal election in assessing how swiftly Berlin can gain access to large doses of the vaccine.