Spain purchases 3.2 million doses of Catalan-developed Covid vaccine

Spain has purchased 3.2 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Catalan firm Hipra, at a value of €31 million.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez hailed the "excellent quality" of the Bimervax jab, and praised the company for creating a versatile vaccine capable of adapting to new variants, while also pointing out the ease with which the jab can be stored. 

Sánchez visited the company's labs in Amer, northern Catalonia, on Tuesday, and pointed out that 13 EU countries that have signed deals to purchase the Hipra Covid vaccine, worth up to €250 million.

Hipra CEO, David Nogareda, remarked that it is the first vaccine designed, developed and produced entirely in Europe. The pharmaceutical manager admitted that developing the vaccine cost "much" more time and money than initially calculated, yet he remains convinced that Bimervax "fits perfectly with current needs at a global level".

Sánchez also commended the "exemplary response of Spanish society" to the vaccination campaign during the pandemic, with 41 million receiving a jab, and 40.7 with full doses. 

EMA authorization

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved the use of Hipra's Covid-19 vaccine as a booster shot in late March. 

The regulatory organization recommends the jab for over 16s who have already received full doses of mRNA vaccines, such as those developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.

The regulator's decision revealed on Thursday comes after verifying that the vaccine is "safe" and that there is sufficient "robust" data on its quality.

The European regulator believes that Bimevax is "at least as effective" as others when it comes to restoring the effects of the first dose in over 16s.

In their decision, they also say that pain where it is administered, headache, fatigue, and muscle pain are some of the most frequent side effects, although they are "light to moderate" and are gone within few days.