Dies ist eine HTML Version eines Anhanges der Informationsfreiheitsanfrage 'Correspondence with MSF'.




     
 
EUROPEAN COMMISSION 
 
 
Directorate General for Health 
  The Acting Director General 
 
Brussels, 5 October 2020 
MEETING REPORT 
Subject: 
Meeting with Medecins sans Frontieres - MSF 
 
 
1. 
Participants 
Medecins Sans Frontieres 

 

 

 

 
European Commission 
-  Sandra Gallina, Director General (acting) 

 

 
 
2. 

Details 
The meeting was organised through videoconference to take stoke and exchange views 
on global efforts to provide vaccines to DCs notably through COVAX. MSF presented 
their work and current experience in vaccination campaigns in Africa, notably the most 
recent one against Ebola. MSF works in coordination with UNICEF and Gavi, the 
Alliance for global vaccines, through a multi-disciplinary team covering procuring and 
delivery (with UNICEF), awareness raising of communities and vaccination campaigns 
(with WHO and UNICEF).  
Discussion turned around humanitarian access to vaccines for vulnerable groups left 
behind by governments and authorities (refugees, minorities, people in conflict areas 
internally displaced people, etc). COVAX will ensure distribution of vaccines for up to 
20% of countries population but governments may avoid distribution to some groups, 
those “falling out of the net”. This is where humanitarian support provided by MSF is 
necessary. 
COVAX has put aside 100 million doses for humanitarian purposes, to cover around 50 
million people. The criteria and conditions to distribute and use this volume is unknown.  
The European Commission explained the donation clauses in concluded in all contracts 
negotiated and concluded by the EC. The details and criteria on how to organise possible 
donations for humanitarian purposes from the EU reserved allocation of vaccines is still 

to be defined. Some costs associated to distribution of donations will require additional 
funding that is not available now.  
The COVAX “Humanitarian buffer” was discussed, the EC agreed to share information 
as soon as the allocation criteria will be made available by WHO and Gavi. MSF would 
reflect on the most appropriate way to source vaccines for humanitarian purposes, either 
through COVAX buffer or through EU donations. Liability linked to any kind of 
donation was discussed. Liability clauses are usually well established in well-known and 
widely used vaccines, while it is not the case in COVID vaccines not developed yet. 
Both sides agree to stay in touch and revert to future coordination meetings as soon as 
there are new developments.