Pharmacist, Minhal Master (R) will administer a dose of the AstraZeneca / Oxford Covid-19 vaccine at a temporary vaccination center, staffed by pharmacists and pharmacy assistants, at the Al-Abbas Islamic Center in Birmingham, West Midlands on February 4, 2021.
Oli Scarff | AFP | Getty Images
The European Union will urge the United States to allow the export of millions of doses of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine as it rushes to bridge supply shortages, the Financial Times reported.
The 27-member EU also wants Washington to ensure a free flow of shipments of critical vaccine ingredients needed for 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 to meet vaccine manufacturers’ contractual obligations with the EU will be fully met,” said the FT.
EU countries started vaccinations at the end of December, but are moving at a much slower pace than other wealthy countries, including former member Great Britain and the United States.
Officials are partly blaming the slow progress on supply problems at manufacturers.
The European Commission and Italy this week blocked a shipment of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine to Australia after the drug manufacturer failed to meet its EU contract obligations.
The Anglo-Swedish drugmaker is under fire in the EU for its delayed delivery of shots to the 27-country bloc, which ordered 300 million doses at the end of June.
“We are working 24/7 to improve delivery and hopefully meet expectations for the second quarter,” AstraZeneca’s CEO Pascal Soriot told EU lawmakers at a public hearing in February.
The EU also plans to extend its export license for Covid-19 vaccines until the end of June, two EU sources told Reuters on Thursday.
Under the scheme, companies must obtain permission before exporting Covid-19 shots, and export requests can be rejected if they fail to meet their EU delivery obligations.
The European Commission and AstraZeneca were not immediately available for comment.