The European Commission has announced it will provide the future COVID-19 vaccine to Albania, free of charge.
President of the EC, Ursula von der Leyen said in a press release that they will donate some EUR 400 million for the vaccine in countries with “medium and poor economies.”
“Global collaboration is the only way to overcome a global pandemic…Today, the Commission is announcing a €400 million contribution to COVAX for working together in purchasing future vaccines to the benefit of low and middle-income countries. I’m confident this will bring us closer to our goal: beating this virus, together.”
Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, said: “It is only by working together globally, in solidarity, that we can defeat the coronavirus. We need an inclusive international approach and as we are showing today, Team Europe – European Commission and EU Member States – is committed to ensuring the success of the COVAX Facility and facilitating access to a vaccine in an equitable manner for all people across the world.”
Albania is a part of COVAX, a global initiative comprising many countries and international partners under the leadership of the WHO. The aim is to work towards creating, testing, and distributing a vaccine that is efficient and safe.
The EC has raised almost EUR 16 billion since 4 May 2020 in response to the pandemic.
