The British company said on Monday it had terminated a contract with France’s Valneva to supply 100 million vaccines against Covid-19. Small vaccines will be produced at its facility in Scotland.

The UK initially ordered 60 million doses, and in February of this year added another 40 million, putting the demand on par with the AstraZeneca agreement in terms of the number of doses, second only to Pfizer.

As Valneva said, the British government “has alleged that the company violated its obligations under its supply contract, but the company vehemently denies this.” He did not say what the alleged breach was, but it was noted that the agreement gave the British government the option to withdraw from it. The company confirmed that it will continue to work on the vaccine, and the results of the third phase of tests are scheduled to be published later this year.

The VLA2001 vaccine, developed by the French company, is only in phase 3 clinical trials and has not yet been approved for use. The vaccine is given in two doses. It contains a dead version of the coronavirus that cannot cause disease but must teach the body’s immune system to fight it. According to British media, this technology will have an opportunity to convince those wary of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to use the new mRNA technology.

The British government has made clear that the termination of the contract does not affect the vaccination program in any way, as the Valnevy product was not intended to be administered during the upcoming autumn and winter.

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From London Bartłomiej Niedziński (PAP)

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