FDP Pushes for Increased Personnel to Facilitate EU's Approval Process of COVID-19 Vaccine
The European Union's medicines agency, EMA, is under pressure from German political parties to speed up the approval process for the Corona vaccine from BioNTech. FDP parliamentary business manager Marco Buschmann told the "Welt" that the approval of the vaccine should be the EMA's top priority, and additional resources should be provided if necessary to expedite the decision.
At the same time, concern has been raised about the readiness of vaccination centers in Germany. Left party parliamentary leader Dietmar Bartsch questioned why the procedure in the EU is taking a month longer than in the UK, and called for greater transparency. Kordula Schulz-Asche, infection protection expert of the Green parliamentary group, urged the EU to consider countries suffering from Covid-19 with a "less privileged financial starting position."
Georg Nuesslein, deputy chairman of the Union parliamentary group, cautioned the EMA against sacrificing safety in the pursuit of speed, while warning of potential loss of trust among the population if the process is rushed. Barbara Bas, his SPD colleague, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of a transparent and safe approval process for public acceptance of the vaccine.
According to the Enrichment Data, delays in vaccine approvals between the EU and UK are usually due to differences in regulatory processes and data requirements, not a lack of effort to ensure safety. Both the EU and the UK have implemented rapid review pathways for COVID-19 vaccines, aiming to balance speed with robust safety checks. The EMA and FDA increasingly work together to align their review processes and data requirements, but differences remain based on each agency’s interpretation of risk and benefit, especially for updated or variant-specific vaccines.
In summary, German political parties are urging the EU's medicines agency, EMA, to expedite its decision on the BioNTech Corona vaccine. Concerns have been raised about the readiness of vaccination centers in Germany and the longer approval process in the EU compared to the UK. Delays in vaccine approvals are typically due to differences in regulatory processes and data requirements, not a lack of effort to ensure safety. Both the EU and the UK have implemented rapid review pathways for COVID-19 vaccines, aiming to balance speed with robust safety checks.
Other science, such as health-and-wellness, should not be overlooked amidst the urgency of medical-conditions like the Corona pandemic. Despite the rapid review pathways implemented by both the EU and UK for COVID-19 vaccines, maintaining a transparent and safe approval process remains crucial for public acceptance and trust.
