Germany earmarks 8.89 bln euros to buy up to 635.1 mln COVID-19 shots

A coalition source told Reuters that the Bundestag lower house of parliament's budget committee was expected to approve the additional spending on Wednesday. The Health Ministry will use the total funds of 8.89 billion euros ($10.77 billion) to buy up to 635.1 million vaccine doses as part of the European Union's joint procurement plans and Berlin's national scheme, the document said.

Germany is planning to spend nearly 9 billion euros ($10.9 billion) this year to buy up to 635.1 million COVID-19 vaccines as part of the European Union's procurement scheme and national deals, a finance ministry document seen by Reuters showed on Tuesday. Finance Minister Olaf Scholz's deputy Bettina Hagedorn proposed to lawmakers in a letter that they greenlight a request by Health Minister Jens Spahn for an additional 6.22 bln euros to buy more vaccines, according to the document.

This comes on top of 2.66 billion euros already earmarked in the 2021 budget to buy COVID-19 vaccines. A coalition source told Reuters that the Bundestag lower house of parliament's budget committee was expected to approve the additional spending on Wednesday.

The Health Ministry will use the total funds of 8.89 billion euros ($10.77 billion) to buy up to 635.1 million vaccine doses as part of the European Union's joint procurement plans and Berlin's national scheme, the document said. "For the federal government, obtaining COVID-19 vaccines is of fundamental importance to get the pandemic under control," Hagedorn told lawmakers in the letter.

"In addition, a broad portfolio (of vaccines) is required so that Germany will have effective vaccines with enough vaccine doses for the various population groups, also in the case that not all vaccines are approved," she added.