Brussels and Moderna have agreed to better meet EU countries’ needs for Covid-19 vaccines for the late summer and winter period; the EC said Aug. 9.

“This will allow national authorities to have access to vaccines, including variant-adapted vaccines if licensed, when they need them for their vaccination campaigns and to support their global partners,” the EC said.

This agreement will adjust the originally agreed contractual delivery schedules.

Vaccines initially scheduled for delivery in the summer will now be delivered in September. The statement was said during the fall and winter of 2022, when EU countries are more likely to need additional vaccine stocks for national campaigns and to meet their international solidarity commitments.

The agreement also ensures that should one or more adapted vaccines receive marketing authorization, EU countries will have the option of receiving these adapted vaccines under the current contract.

In response to this, and at the request of certain EU countries, the agreement also guarantees Moderna an additional 15 million doses of candidate booster vaccines containing Omicron, subject to market authorization in a timeframe that would allow these doses to be used in their vaccination campaigns.

Stella Kyriakides, said, “Increasing vaccination and booster rates for Covid-19 will be critical as we plan for the fall and winter months.

“To best ensure our shared preparedness, EU countries must have the necessary tools,” Kyriakides added.

“This includes variant-adapted vaccines as authorized by the European Medicines Agency. This agreement will ensure that EU countries have access to the vaccine doses they need at the right time to protect our citizens,” she added.