Europe: "We Will Rapidly Approve COVID Variant Vaccines"

Stella Kyriakides, EU Commissioner for Health
[Photo by EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] The European Union (EU) announced that it will expedite the approval of updated vaccines targeting COVID-19 variants.

Stella Kyriakides, the EU Commissioner for Health, said in an interview with a German media outlet on the 14th (local time), "We have decided that manufacturers updating vaccines based on previous versions to fight new variants will no longer need to undergo the full approval process."

She added, "We reviewed the related procedures with the European Medicines Agency (EMA)," and said, "This will allow us to have suitable vaccines available more quickly without compromising safety."

The European Commission, the EU's executive body, has faced criticism from member states for slower COVID-19 vaccine approvals and insufficient initial vaccine supplies compared to the UK and the US.

Commissioner Kyriakides said the pace will pick up in the second quarter of this year, stating, "By the end of September, we will secure enough vaccines to vaccinate more than 70% of the adult population in EU member states."

So far, the EU Commission has approved vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.