Neighbourly jab

26 January 2021 By Aimee Donnellan Follow @aimeedonnellan

Brussels attacked drugmaker AstraZeneca for low deliveries of Covid-19 jabs and will impose checks on exports from the bloc. The move masks flaws in Europe’s inoculation rollout, and may do little to speed it up. It could trigger a new battle for access to coronavirus treatments.

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The European Commission urged Anglo-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca on Jan. 25 to find ways to swiftly deliver vaccines after the company announced a large cut in supplies of its Covid-19 shot to the bloc. It also said that all companies producing vaccines against Covid-19 in the European Union will have to provide early notification whenever they want to export vaccines to third countries.

AstraZeneca, which developed its shot with Oxford University, told the EU on Jan. 22 it could not meet agreed supply targets up to the end of March. An EU official involved in the talks telling Reuters the lower production would mean a 60% cut to 31 million doses.

The second round of discussions on the evening of Jan. 25 with AstraZeneca ended in “dissatisfaction with the lack of clarity and insufficient explanations”, the commission said.

Another meeting will be convened on Jan. 27 to discuss the matter further, the commission added.

Context News

The second round of discussions on the evening of Jan. 25 with AstraZeneca ended in “dissatisfaction with the lack of clarity and insufficient explanations”, the commission said.

Another meeting will be convened on Jan. 27 to discuss the matter further, the commission added.

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