BERLIN | Germany is pressuring European Union (EU) authorities to speed up the validation process for the COVID-19 vaccine, when Britain, the United States or Canada have already started using it.
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The services of Chancellor Angela Merkel and her Ministry of Health are pressuring the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the EU so that the vaccine from American laboratories Pfizer and German BionNTech is approved by December 23, and not by December 29, as is currently planned, reports the German daily Bild Tuesday.
He cites sources close to the German government. This information confirms the signs of impatience already sent on Sunday by the German Minister of Health, Jens Spahn.
“All BioNTech data is available, UK and US have already given their approval. A review of the data and approval by the EAJ should take place as soon as possible, ”he said.
“Confidence in the ability of the European Union to act is at stake,” he warned.
In the meantime, other countries such as Canada, Singapore and Bahrain have also already started their vaccination campaign.
The irritation in Berlin is all the greater as the vaccine was developed by a national company, BioNTech, and as Germany is hit hard by the second wave of the pandemic.
The government has decided to impose partial confinement on the population from Wednesday and, initially, until January 10.
The Netherlands-based MEA is currently deliberating on issuing authorizations for several COVID-19 vaccines. She was the target of a cyberattack last week in which documents related to Pfizer and BioNTech were hacked.