Peadar Tóibín
Question:783. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if he made efforts to procure Covid-19 vaccines outside of the EU procurement process. [11250/21]
View answerDáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 March 2021
783. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if he made efforts to procure Covid-19 vaccines outside of the EU procurement process. [11250/21]
View answerIreland is participating in a Procurement Exercise being operated by the European Commission on behalf of Member States to procure suitable, safe and effective vaccines, in sufficient quantities, to combat Covid-19.
Six APAs have been negotiated by the Commission under this process to date. Ireland has opted-in to five APAs to secure vaccine supplies: BioNTech/Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Janssen/J&J and CureVac. Government approval has been obtained to opt-into the sixth APA (GSK/Sanofi Pasteur), subject to the outcome of clinical trial results.
Ireland has signalled its solidarity with the EU approach and has, through its participation, gained access to a broad range of vaccines that it might not otherwise have access to, and at the cost agreed collectively by the EU.