Pfizer Takes Legal Action Against Poland for Refusing to Purchase Additional COVID-19 Vaccines
Pfizer Sues Poland Over Unwanted COVID-19 Vaccine Doses
Pfizer has initiated a legal challenge against Poland as the country has declined to purchase 60 million contracted doses of its COVID-19 vaccine. According to both reports and Polish officials, the pharmaceutical company has filed a civil lawsuit in Brussels, Belgium, seeking approximately $1.5 billion for the doses that the Polish government had previously expressed disinterest in procuring.
Polish authorities attributed their hesitancy in purchasing the contracted doses to the significant financial strain the country has endured from the inflow of Ukrainian refugees due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Poland has accepted more Ukrainian refugees than any other European nation.
Poland initially requested a modification to its agreement with Pfizer under a “force majeure” clause, stressing that the changing geopolitical and epidemiological landscape justified a revision of the vaccine contracts. Pfizer and Poland entered negotiations to find a resolution, ultimately to no avail, leading to the current court dispute.
In light of parallel efforts to amend the vaccine deal with Moderna, Poland views their negotiations as a successful endeavor, contrasting Pfizer’s actions in the dispute. While Poland’s struggle is not unique, they are taking a firm stand after other European Union countries pushed for contract modifications during this time of geopolitical upheaval.
This legal action was taken in Brussels, as the doses were procured through joint European Union contracts under Belgian law, as specified by Polish newspaper Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
Combatting COVID-19 on a global scale continues to present complex contractual and public health challenges for governments and pharmaceutical corporations.
