Vials of AstraZeneca vaccine against coronavirus (COVID-19) during the first day of a mass vaccination of 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, with Italy reportedly blocking a shipment of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine to Australia on Thursday.
Reuters reported, citing two sources, that AstraZeneca Rome had requested permission to ship approximately 250,000 doses from its Anagni plant. However, the Italian government refused. The Financial Times also reported the same story. An AstraZeneca spokesperson was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC.
In January, the European Union placed temporary controls on exports of vaccines made in the bloc, following a falling out with British pharma giant AstraZeneca and wider delivery problems. The EU is under pressure because of what critics describe as a slow rollout of Covid vaccines.
The European Commission, the agency leading the purchase agreements, has been blamed for not securing sufficient vaccines, and the region’s medical service has been criticized for taking too long to approve vaccinations that have been given the green light elsewhere.
The controls last until the end of March and give EU Member States the power to refuse export licenses if vaccine manufacturers fail to comply with contracts.