FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Germany needs to secure more output capacity with leading COVID-19 vaccine makers because repeat shots will likely be needed from next year, and Germany would go it alone if other European Union members fail to see the urgency, its health minister said.
“For now we don’t know how long protection will last,” Jens Spahn said in an online press briefing.
“Nobody can rule out the need for repeat shots for immune reinforcement. Therefore we should secure capacity within the European Union framework, if not done urgently, then nationally,” he added.
The emergence of new variants has added urgency and talks with some manufacturers for 2022 supply contracts had already begun, he added.
(Reporting by Ludwig Burger and Patricia Weiss, editng by Kirsti Knolle)
