Coronavirus Global Response: Commission joins the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility (COVAX)

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.

Today, the European Commission has confirmed its interest to participate in the COVAX Facility for equitable access to affordable COVID-19 vaccines everywhere, for everyone who needs them. As part of a Team Europe effort, the Commission is today also announcing a contribution of €400 million in guarantees to support COVAX and its objectives in the context of the Coronavirus Global Response.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said: “Global collaboration is the only way to overcome a global pandemic. Under the Coronavirus Global Response and the Global Goal Unite campaign, we have seen the world come together as one. Almost €16 billion have been pledged so far and the most talented researchers and organisations are pooling their efforts to deliver vaccines, tests and treatments, which will be our universal, common good. Today, the Commission is announcing a €400 million contribution to COVAX for working together in purchasing future vaccines to the benefit of low and middle income countries. I’m confident this will bring us closer to our goal: beating this virus, together.”

Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, said: “It is only by working together globally, in solidarity, that we can defeat the coronavirus. We need an inclusive international approach and as we are showing today, Team Europe – European Commission and EU Member States – is committed to ensuring the success of the COVAX Facility and facilitating access to a vaccine in an equitable manner for all people across the world.”

Jutta Urpilainen, Commissioner for International partnerships, said: “Only by securing equitable access to a COVID-19 vaccine across the world will we end the pandemic and ensure a sustainable recovery; working with our partner countries is crucial so that we can build back better and healthier.”

The COVAX Facility, co-led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and WHO, aims to accelerate the development and manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines and to guarantee fair and equitable access for every country in the world.

As part of a EU joint engagement (Commission, Member States and European financial institutions, notably EIB) to mobilise resources for the Coronavirus Global Response, the Commission intends to mobilise up to €400 million in guarantees to support COVAX and its underlying objectives as part of a Team Europe effort. The detailed terms and conditions for the EU’s participation and contribution will be worked out in the coming days and weeks. Team Europe is ready to put its expertise and resources at work within COVAX to accelerate and scale-up development and manufacturing of a global supply of vaccines for citizens across the world, in poor and rich countries.

The EU’s participation in COVAX will be complementary to the ongoing EU negotiations with vaccine companies that aim at scaling up manufacturing capacity of vaccine producers, contributing to global efforts.

Background:

The European Commission is committed to ensuring that everyone who needs a vaccine gets it, anywhere in the world and not only at home. No one will be safe until everyone is safe. This is why it immediately responded to the WHO’s call for action and has raised almost €16 billion since 4 May 2020 under the Coronavirus Global Response, the global action for universal access to tests, treatments and vaccines against coronavirus and for the global recovery.

As a milestone under the Coronavirus Global Response, the global action for universal access to affordable coronavirus vaccination, treatment and testing, The Global Goal: Unite for our Future campaign was launched by NGO Global Citizen on 28 May under the patronage of President Ursula von der Leyen.  

On 4 May, the Commission also proposed a cooperation framework to align global efforts and accelerate progress in developing coronavirus vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics and strengthening health systems: the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT)-Accelerator.

Three partnerships, based on the three priorities of the Coronavirus Global Response, are at its core. They gather industry, research, foundations, regulators and international organisations to work together on all steps needed to deliver new tools and solutions, from research to manufacturing and deployment.

COVAX is the vaccines pillar of the ACT-Accelerator, a global collaboration to accelerate the development, production, and equitable access for all countries across the world to COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines.

Co-led by Gavi, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and WHO, COVAX was launched at the end of April 2020 at an event co-hosted by the Director-General of the World Health Organization, the President of France, the President of the European Commission, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Since then, the EU has been actively engaged with Gavi, CEPI and other participant countries in the setting up of COVAX governance and financial tools. The final terms of the EU’s participation following today’s expression of interest still need to be defined.

The COVAX Facility aims to purchase 2 billion doses by the end of 2021, by negotiating with a diversified portfolio of vaccine suppliers covering different scientific technologies, time delivery and prices. The COVAX Facility is an insurance mechanism which will reduce risk for manufacturers, concerned about investing without assured demand, and for countries, concerned about failing to secure access to a viable vaccine.