BRUSSELS (AP) – Frustration is rising from Europe to North America over reduced shipments of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, while the US pharmaceutical company is increasing production capacity at its Belgian plant. Governments say it takes critical time in the early stages of implementing nursing homes and hospital staff.
Italy has threatened legal action. The leader of Canada’s most populous province said Pfizer’s chief executive should be pursued “with a bang” A top official of the European Union has the principle of ‘pacta sunt servanda’, a Latin phrase meaning ‘to abide by agreements’.
The EU and many countries are under pressure for what is seen as the slow start of their vaccination campaigns compared to countries such as Israel and the United Kingdom. Pfizer exacerbated the problem last Friday when it announced a temporary drop in deliveries so it could scale up its factory in Puurs, Belgium, delivering all shots delivered outside the United States.
The delay, which according to the pharmaceutical giant would last for several weeks, not only affects the number of people who can be vaccinated during that period, but also throws away the meticulous choreography that governments map out to give elderly residents and carers the necessary to get two doses. within a strict schedule of a few weeks.
“It means big complications for us,” said Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis. Similar complaints can be heard in several other EU countries, from Denmark to Belgium.
“Indeed,” said Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission.
The EU now expects Pfizer to deliver 92% of the expected block in the 27-nation bloc during the next week. The missing 8% is expected to be recovered during the week of 15 February
Von der Leyen said the immediate challenge would be to secure enough doses to make sure people who have already had their first Pfizer vaccine get their second sting within the recommended range.
“It is of the utmost importance that we get the doses set out in the contract,” the EU executive commission negotiated on behalf of member states. Overall, the EU will receive up to 600 million doses of Pfizer.
A number of US states also report that it is difficult to obtain enough vaccines. The full explanation for the apparent supply-demand mismatch was unclear, but last week the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services suggested that states have unrealistic expectations about how much vaccine was on the way.
In Europe, the harsh criticism of Pfizer stands in stark contrast to the honors the company received last month for being extremely quick to produce a COVID-19 vaccine that is considered safe and effective. The Pfizer BioNTech vaccine was the first vaccine to be used in the United Kingdom, the EU, and the United States.
Pfizer told The Associated Press late Wednesday that any small decline now being taken will make a big leap later in the year. The company would originally produce 1.3 billion doses this year.
“We have explored innovative ways to increase the number of doses we can deliver this year, and we now believe we could potentially deliver around 2 billion doses by 2021,” the company said in a statement.
But even if understood, many officials in Europe said they were disappointed with what they saw as a lack of smooth communication.
“The problem lies mainly in the announcement of Pfizer on short notice,” said German Health Minister Jens Spahn. “It’s a disturbing thing.”
“I understand the reason why (plants) need to be converted in the short term to increase capacity in the medium and long term,” he said. “But it is very unsatisfactory that it was basically communicated to us overnight.”
The urgency and anticipation to roll out the vaccines in the EU of 27 countries, where 400,000 people have died from the virus, is also in line with Canada, a country of 37 million with a death toll of more than 18,000.
Major General Dany Fortin, who leads Canada’s logistical deployment and distribution of vaccines, said Pfizer was postponing next week’s delivery completely and that there would be a significant decrease in vaccine stocks over the next three weeks.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the shortage was more than a troublesome logistical inconvenience.
“I’m just angry at the situation that other countries are getting,” Ford said. He said if he were Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, he would call Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer, every day and go after him “with a bang.”
“He would not know what struck him.” Ford added. “I will not stop until we get these vaccines.”
The European Union is likely to pursue Pfizer with a different weapon, but equally fiery. The 27 leaders have a video conference scheduled for Thursday, where the rollout of vaccines will be a major issue.
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Rob Gillies in Toronto, Nicole Winfield in Rome, Sam Petrequin in Brussels, Karel Janicek in Prague and Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed.
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