An agreement with pharmaceutical companies for the delivery of updated coronavirus vaccines was sealed at the EU Health Ministers’ informal meeting last week after an intervention of the ministers of Cyprus and Greece.
This is what an official announcement in Nicosia said on Thursday, adding that Cyprus Minister Michalis Hadjipantela and his Greek counterpart, Thanos Plevris, had coordinated action.
The agreement reached provides that pharmaceutical firms – in the event that new vaccines are licensed that have increased effectiveness against new variants of the virus – then all subsequent deliveries will only concern the updated type.
Also, following Hadjipantela’s proposal it was agreed that EU member states, in case of reduced vaccine needs in 2023, have the possibility to transfer the allocated doses to the following year.
Hatzipantela also informed his European counterparts of the intention of the government to establish an Office of the European Region of the World Health Organization in Cyprus.
