Biontech to deliver another 50 million doses of vaccine by end of June

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Manufacturers Biontech and Pfizer plan to deliver an additional 50 million doses of Corona vaccine to Germany and other EU countries by the end of June. This was announced by EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels. This is a delivery brought forward from the fourth quarter, she said. A total of 250 million doses of vaccine would thus come from Biontech/Pfizer in the second quarter from April to June, von der Leyen said.

For Austria, this means one million additional doses in the second quarter. “This is a massive vaccination turbo for us. It means we can vaccinate an additional 250,000 people with Biontech/Pfizer in the second quarter,” Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said at a specially convened press conference on Wednesday.

In the second quarter from April to June, a total of 250 million doses of vaccine from Biontech/Pfizer will thus reach the EU. The shipment will be distributed among the 27 EU countries according to population share.

“The fact that we can vaccinate 500,000 people even faster saves lives and jobs,” said Chancellor Kurz.

When exactly the vaccine deliveries will arrive in Austria, the Chancellor could not say. He could guarantee that they would arrive by the end of June.

According to Kurz, these deliveries will not affect other vaccine deliveries, such as the Sputnik V vaccine from Russia.

Asked if people who have already received an Astra Zeneca vaccine will now receive a Pfizer vaccine, Kurz said, “We will use all approved vaccines.” And emphasized one more time that he, too, will get vaccinated with the Astra Zeneca vaccine.

The early delivery could partially make up for possible shortfalls in Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine. The U.S. manufacturer had postponed its delivery to EU countries on Tuesday. Background are reports of sinus vein thrombosis. The group is investigating the cases, and the European Medicines Agency EMA is also looking into them. It is unclear when deliveries will resume in Europe. Johnson & Johnson was scheduled to deliver 55 million doses in the second quarter. The vaccine is given only once, while other vaccines are given twice.