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Comment by johnnycerberus | Hacker News Reader

Judging by what the German press is writing nowadays about their politicans, especially the populists (and the unionists also) that are increasingly frustrated on the incapability of Germany (and the EU altogether) to handle the COVID situation and deliver a homemade vaccine, without the help of the USA and UK, it doesn't surprise me. It could be politically.

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Germany has a "homemade" vaccine (BioNTech), in fact it was the first reliable vaccine on the market, and pioneering an entirely new medical paradigm at it, but the EC botched the process of acquiring it.

Yes, I know that the brains behind the vaccine are the people from BioNTech, but without the engineering, manufacturing and delivery guaranteed by Pfizer, we would have been in a bad spot here in the EU. Research is great, but implementation is what kills us... and bureaucracy.

How can you botch acquiring something being developed and made in own country?

Mainly, by signing the orders to late and to to few doses. Which held back extension of the production capacities. In the meantime, a new production site in Germany went operational (Marburg) and increased the output of BioNTech. In Q3 there is probably enough production to supply Germany, but that means at least one more quarter where people and businesses die.

That is what we have been asking us for more than two months. This almost looks like sabotage.

Because it is not made in Germany. Pfizer is responsible for producing it and their plants are primarily in the US.

The Pfizer-Biontec being used in Europe is, generally, produced by Pfizer (and Biontec) plants in Europe.

I don't think that's the case, the US isn't exporting any vaccines afaik and the EU doses are primarily produced in Europe.

The manufacturing of the vaccine is a three-stage process[0]:

The First stage is done in the US.

The second stage is done in the US and Germany.

The third stage is done in the US and Belgium.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pfizer–BioNTech_COVID-19_vacci...

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