France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands working together to find a vaccine for countries in Europe and beyond
France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands are joining forces in negotiations with potential developers and manufacturers of a coronavirus vaccine. Together, the 4 countries are exploring promising vaccine initiatives and are in discussions with a number of pharmaceutical companies. They intend to have the vaccines manufactured in Europe if possible.
Many countries want to have a coronavirus vaccine as soon as possible and are investing heavily in various research initiatives. France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands firmly believe that a common strategy and joint investments are crucial to success in this area. They have therefore agreed to form the ‘Inclusive Vaccine Alliance’. According to the alliance, one of the most urgent matters at hand is to accelerate the development process and ensure global access to an effective vaccine.
The alliance is working hard to explore promising vaccine development initiatives to secure enough coronavirus vaccines for countries in the EU and beyond. Working together puts the countries in a better position to achieve fast, optimal results in their discussions with key stakeholders from the pharmaceutical industry when it comes to promising vaccine initiatives. The alliance also wants pharmaceutical companies to agree that any vaccine developed must be accessible, available and affordable everywhere in the EU.
The 4 countries want to involve the European Commission in negotiations and provide other EU member states with the opportunity to participate in initiatives resulting from the alliance. This will allow everyone in Europe – and especially those who are most vulnerable – to benefit from a vaccine. The alliance is also working to make a portion of vaccines available to low-income countries, including in Africa.