‘In the midst of a worsening pandemic it’s not acceptable’

One such call came from Cork Fianna Fáil MEP, Billy Kelleher, who said that that citizens are getting frustrated seeing non-EU countries “power ahead” with their own vaccine rollout.

Mr Kelleher, a member of the Parliament’s Public Health Committee said that the purpose of member states agreeing to co-ordinate their vaccine purchase and rollout through the Commission was to secure both price and rollout efficiencies.

“What is now obvious is that only a price efficiency has been secured. In normal times this may have sufficed. However, in the midst of a worsening pandemic, it’s not acceptable,” said Mr Kelleher. He added that the cost of not vaccinating the population quickly enough, and thereby not opening up society and the economy quickly enough, is considerably greater than the savings made on bulk purchasing through the Commission.

According to Mr Kelleher, citizens across the EU are seeing non-member states accessing the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine much quicker.

“We are seeing delays in deliveries, yet no response from the Commission to rectify this. I am very concerned that the pharma companies have taken the Commission for granted.”

“Furthermore, I am concerned by the bureaucratic delays in authorising of the use of the vaccines,” he added earlier this week. The Moderna vaccine was approved for use by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) yesterday, Wednesday, however.