EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said this on Friday.
This is the second contract the EU has signed on behalf of its 27 member states.
The vaccine will be distributed according to population and need in the countries, which can also decide to donate doses to non-EU states.
“With several countries in Europe experiencing new outbreaks after the summer period, a safe and effective vaccine is more instrumental than ever to overcome this pandemic and its devastating effects on our economies and societies.’’
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The commission is also negotiating similar agreements with other manufacturers, including Johnson and Johnson, Curevac, Moderna, and BioNTech.
It has already signed a contract with AstraZeneca.
Countries across the world are racing to secure sufficient vaccines for their population.
On Wednesday, von der Leyen warned of “vaccine nationalism,” arguing that only worldwide cooperation would save lives.
dpa/NAN
