Vials containing AstraZeneca coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine during the first day of a mass vaccination by police and firefighters at Wanda Metropolitan Stadium.
Marcos del Mazo | LightRocket | Getty Images
LONDON – The European Union has made its first intervention in the supply of coronavirus vaccines, and Italy reportedly blocked a shipment of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine to Australia on Thursday.
Reuters reports, citing two sources, that AstraZeneca has requested permission from Rome to ship approximately 250,000 doses from its Anagni plant. However, the Italian government refused. The Financial Times also reported the same story. A AstraZeneca spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.
In January, the European Union placed temporary controls on the export of vaccines made within the block, following talks with UK pharmaceuticals AstraZeneca and wider issues over supply. The EU was under pressure for what critics described as a slow introduction of Covid vaccines.
The European Commission, the body that leads the purchase agreements, is blamed for insuring enough vaccines, and the region’s medical agency has been criticized for taking too long to approve vaccinations that have been given the green light elsewhere.
The controls will last until the end of March and give powers to EU member states to allow exports if the vaccine manufacturers do not comply with contracts.