[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Germany has reportedly demanded that the European Union (EU) Commission secure at least four COVID-19 booster vaccines in preparation for next year and the year after.
According to major foreign media on the 11th (local time), Jens Spahn, Germany's Minister of Health, sent a letter to the EU Commission on the 6th, providing his opinions regarding the vaccine supply plan for 2022-2023.
Minister Spahn stated, "To receive vaccines on time in 2022-2023, it is necessary to secure vaccines using various platform methods," adding, "This should include two mRNA vaccines and at least two vaccines of different types."
Currently, COVID-19 vaccine platforms include mRNA (Pfizer, Moderna), viral vector (AstraZeneca, Janssen), and recombinant protein (Novavax), among others.
Germany has insisted that mRNA vaccines must be included among these. mRNA vaccines are reported to have significantly lower side effects and higher efficacy. Recently, as AstraZeneca and Janssen vaccines have shown thrombotic side effects, the preference for these two vaccines has increased further.
Minister Spahn's demand is also interpreted to be related to Germany's opposition to the waiver of vaccine intellectual property rights (IPR). The mRNA vaccine technology, currently produced only in the United States and Europe, is considered central to the IPR waiver debate.
BioNTech, a German company that developed the COVID-19 vaccine using the mRNA method in partnership with Pfizer, is involved. Regarding U.S. President Joe Biden's support for the IPR waiver, the EU has shown negative sentiment, with Germany leading the opposition. A German government spokesperson emphasized in a statement on the 6th, "Protection of intellectual property rights is a source of innovation," adding, "It must remain so in the future."
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