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Health minister certain that BioNTech will sign COVID-19 vaccine deal

ROC Central News Agency

02/18/2021 05:44 PM

Taipei, Feb. 18 (CNA) Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih- chung (陳時中) said Thursday that he was "certain" that BioNTech (BNT) will sign a deal to supply COVID-19 vaccines to Taiwan, just one day after he announced that such a deal fell through in December due to "outside interference."

"We believe that BNT will surmount all obstacles, sign the contract soon and work with Taiwan to bring an end to the pandemic," Chen said at a press conference.

A day earlier, Chen disclosed on a radio show that Taiwan was close to securing 5 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by the U.S. pharmaceutical company Pfizer and the German biotech firm BNT last December, when BNT called off the deal at the last minute.

Chen hinted that Chinese pressure was behind the cancellation, although he also said in the same interview that the status of the deal was "pending."

After Chen's comments, BNT told Reuters early Thursday that "BioNTech is committed to help bringing an end to the pandemic for people across the world and we intend to supply Taiwan with our vaccine as part of this global commitment."

The company also said that its discussions with Taiwan "are ongoing."

At Thursday's press conference, Chen said he welcomed BNT's response and expressed confidence that the company will supply Taiwan with the COVID-19 vaccines.

He praised Germany as a trusted business partner of Taiwan, and said the country's assistance in helping other European nations treat their COVID-19 patients in the early days of the pandemic was admirable.

He also provided more information about the situation in December, saying that the two sides had already agreed on the contract, which Taiwan had signed, when BNT said that there were problems that still needed to be looked into.

He did not elaborate on what problems these were, although Chen said they still hoped the original deal they agreed on with BNT would go through.

Taiwan has not been in contact with Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group, a Chinese company that is BNT's agent for the COVID-19 vaccine in China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, Chen noted, stressing that all of the negotiations have been done directly with BNT.

To date, Taiwan has secured 14.76 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine (10 million supplied through a deal with AstraZeneca and the rest through COVAX) and 5 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine produced by U.S. company Moderna.

Taiwan will be able to confirm with COVAX as early as next week on when the first batch of vaccines resulting from the coalition will arrive, according to Chen.

In terms of domestically produced vaccines, Chen said last week that the government has signed an advance agreement to purchase 5 million doses from one of two Taiwanese companies whose COVID-19 vaccine is currently in phase 2 trials, and is in the process of negotiation with the other.

(By Chiang Yi-ching)

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