Pharmacist, Minhal Master (R) gives a dose of AstraZeneca / Oxford Covid-19 vaccine on 4 February 2021 at a temporary vaccination center, staffed by pharmacists and pharmacists’ assistants, at the Al-Abbas Islamic Center in Birmingham, West Midlands.
Oli Scarff | AFP | Getty Images
The Financial Times reports that the European Union will urge the United States to allow the export of millions of doses of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine.
The EU of 27 countries also wants Washington to ensure the free flow of deliveries of key vaccine ingredients needed in European production, the FT report said on Saturday.
“We trust that we can work with the US to ensure that vaccines produced or bottled in the US for compliance with the contractual obligations of vaccine manufacturers to the EU are fully complied with,” the FT told the European Commission.
EU countries began vaccinations at the end of December, but are moving much more slowly than other rich countries, including the former member Britain and the United States.
Officials blame the slow progress, in part with the supply problems at manufacturers.
The European Commission and Italy this week blocked a shipment of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine destined for Australia after the drugmaker failed to meet its EU contractual obligations.
The Anglo-Swedish drugmaker was under fire in the EU due to its delayed supplies of shots to the block of 27 countries, which ordered 300 million doses by the end of June.
“We are working 24/7 to improve delivery and hopefully meet expectations for the second quarter,” Pascal Soriot, CEO of AstraZeneca, told EU lawmakers in February during a public hearing.
The EU also plans to extend its Covid-19 vaccine export authorization scheme until the end of June, two EU sources told Reuters on Thursday.
Under the scheme, companies must obtain authorization before exporting Covid-19 shots, and export requests can be rejected if they do not meet their EU supply obligations.
The European Commission and AstraZeneca were not immediately available for comment.