European Union signs deal with Bavarian Nordic for delivery of monkeypox vaccine

Monkeypox causes fevers and skin lesions.

The European Commission on Tuesday said it had signed a deal with Danish biotech firm Bavarian Nordic for the delivery of around 110,000 doses of monkeypox vaccine.

The agreement marks the first time that the EU budget is used for the direct purchase of vaccines and would make the shots rapidly available to all EU member states, Norway and Iceland, the commission said.

Earlier the European Union had said it will sign an agreement with an undisclosed vaccine maker for the supply of about 110,000 doses of vaccines against monkeypo. These doses will be delivered by the end of June, the EU health commissioner Stella Kyriakides had said.

On the sidelines of a meeting of EU health ministers in Luxembourg , Kyriakides said that the vaccines will be bought with EU funds and delivered to EU states.

Around 900 cases of monkeypox have been reported in 19 EU countries, Norway and Iceland since May 18.