Coronavirus EU anger over reduced Pfizer vaccine deliveries
Several EU countries are receiving significantly fewer doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine than expected, after the US firm slowed shipments.
Six nations called the situation “unacceptable” and warned it “decreases the credibility of the vaccination process”.
Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia urged the EU to apply pressure on Pfizer-BioNTech.
Pfizer said the reduced deliveries are a temporary issue.
In a statement on Friday, the drugmaker said shipments were being affected by changes to its manufacturing processes designed to boost production.
“Although this will temporarily impact shipments in late January to early February, it will provide a significant increase in doses available for patients in late February and March,” Pfizer said.
The EU has also approved the vaccine manufactured by US company Moderna for use, so the bloc is not wholly reliant on the jab developed by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech. Still, the development is expected to slow the pace of vaccination programmes.
The German health ministry called Pfizer’s announcement surprising and regrettable, noting that it had committed to binding delivery dates until mid-February.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she had been assured by Pfizer’s chief executive that all orders guaranteed for delivery in the first quarter of the year would arrive.
Last week, Ms von der Leyen said Pfizer had agreed to supply the EU with 600 million doses this year, double its initial order.
The pledge may do little to soothe European governments battling to subdue a fast-spreading Covid-19 variant first detected in the UK.
