- Title: EU says UK spurning vaccine scheme would not affect drugmaker talks
- Date: 10th July 2020
- Summary: MARCY-L'ETOILE, FRANCE (RECENT - JUNE 16, 2020) (AGENCY POOL) LAB WORKER IN VACCINE DEVELOPMENT CENTRE SAMPLES IN TEST TUBES VARIOUS OF LAB WORKERS AT WORK TEST TUBES ON CONVEYOR BELT LAB VARIOUS OF SAMPLES INSIDE MACHINERY
- Embargoed: 24th July 2020 14:41
- Keywords: Britain COVID-19 European Commission UK advance purchase coronavirus drugmakers vaccines
- Location: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM / MARCY-L'ETOILE, FRANCE
- City: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM / MARCY-L'ETOILE, FRANCE
- Country: Belgium
- Topics: European Union,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA002CM89A9Z
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:The European Commission said on Friday (July 10) that a possible decision by the United Kingdom not to join an EU scheme to secure potential COVID-19 vaccines up front would not affect talks the bloc is conducting with several drugmakers.
On Thursday, the British Telegraph newspaper reported that the UK government had decided not to join the EU scheme because of concerns that there could be costly delays in securing the vaccines.
"The fact that the UK has apparently said they would not join up to whatever contract we are able to negotiate with producers is definitely not something that is going to influence our own negotiations with the producers," Eric Mamer, a spokesman for the EU executive, told a news conference.
He said the EU was currently negotiating advance purchases of vaccines still under development with a series of producers.
Reuters exclusively reported in June that the bloc was in talks with pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson and French drugmaker Sanofi to secure potential coronavirus vaccines from them in advance.
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