Germany wants push to secure 2022 vaccine supply

Germany's health minister wants to press ahead with securing new COVID-19 vaccine supplies for 2022, preferably at the European Union level but if necessary nationally.

Jens Spahn said Monday that it's important to secure production capacity in Germany and Europe in advance.

He said it's not yet clear whether or when booster vaccinations will be required, or whether vaccines will need to be adapted to new and so far unknown virus mutations.

He spoke at a videoconference in which German-based pharmaceutical giant Bayer, which last month announced it was linking up with German company CureVac to help develop and distribute that firm's prospective COVID-19 vaccine, said it will help produce the vaccine.CureVac's vaccine contender is in the advanced stages of development.

The German government has faced criticism for the sluggish start to the country's vaccination campaign.By Friday, 1.85 million people had received a first vaccine dose in Germany - a country of 83 million - and more than 461,000 had a second dose. In comparison, Britain, a country of 67 million, has given nearly 9 million people a first vaccine shot.

The European Union ordered vaccines for the entire 27-nation bloc, and its ordering also has drawn criticism.Bayer Board of Management member Stefan Oelrich, CureVac CEO Franz-Werner Haas, North Rhine-Westphalia's Minister President Armin Laschet and German Health Minister Jens Spahn were among those who informed about the details of the cooperation in a video conference on Monday morning.