Parliament’s leading development MEPs are calling on the EU to pledge 300 million euros more to help developing countries obtain COVID-19 vaccines.
Development MEPs are calling for the additional EU payments to the financial instrument COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC) to allow 92 low and lower-middle income countries equitable and fair access to vaccines. The MEPs, representing most of the political groups, relayed their request in a letter addressed to Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen on Wednesday, ahead of the G7 Leaders’ Summit on 19 February. “If we are to ensure that the virus is under control worldwide, we know that the COVAX AMC will continue to need more financial support for vaccines and delivery through 2021”, the MEPs say. By contributing another 300 million euros before upcoming G7 summit, the EU can continue to lead the way in supporting global solidarity, they added. So far, the EU has contributed 850 million euros to COVAX, a global vaccine initiative.
COVAX has 190 participating countries and economies, including 98 self-financing and 92 low and lower-middle income participants. Its goal is to end the acute phase of the pandemic globally by delivering two billion doses of safe and effective vaccines by the end of 2021. The Advance Market Commitment (AMC) is a financial mechanism that pays for vaccines for lower-income economies procured through the COVAX initiative. To ensure that all doses can be delivered to low and lower-middle income countries, more financial support is urgently needed.
