NEW YORK (US) – The European Union will aim for getting permission from the United States for the export of millions of doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine as it struggles to cement supply shortfalls, reported the Financial Times.
The 27-nation EU also wants Washington to make sure there is a free flow of shipments of crucial vaccine ingredients required in European production, the FT report on Saturday said.
The FT quoted the European Commission as saying, “We trust that we can work together with the US to ensure that vaccines produced or bottled in the US for the fulfilment of vaccine producers’ contractual obligations with the EU will be fully honoured.”
EU countries started vaccinations at the end of December, but are moving at a slower pace when compared to other rich nations, including former member Britain and the United States.
Officials have expressed remarks about the slow progress, partly with regard to supply problems with manufacturers.
The European Commission and Italy this week stopped a shipment of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine slated for Australia after the drug manufacturer did not fulfill its EU contract commitments. The Anglo-Swedish drugmaker has been criticised in the EU over its supplies of shots to the 27-nation bloc getting blocked. It had ordered 300 million doses by the end of June.
AstraZeneca’s CEO Pascal Soriot told EU lawmakers in a public hearing in February, “We are working 24/7 to improve delivery and hopefully catch up to the expectations for Q2.” The EU is also aiming for the extension of its export authorisation scheme intended for COVID-19 vaccines to the end of June, two EU sources told on Thursday.
Under the scheme, companies must get an approval before exporting COVID-19 shots, and may have denied requests for export if they do not respect their EU supply commitments.
