AstraZeneca's delay explanation is inadequate: EU

The European Union health commissioner says that AstraZeneca had provided insufficient clarification at a meeting on Monday on its decision to slow down supplies of COVID-19 vaccines to the EU.

Adam Reed reports.

The European Union remains dissatisfied with what it called “insufficient explanations" from pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca on delays in vaccine deliveries within the bloc.

EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides speaking on Monday (January 26): "The European Union wants to know exactly which doses have been produced, where, by AstraZeneca so far and if, or to whom, they have been delivered.

These questions were also discussed today in the joint steering board of the Commission and the 27 member states with AstraZeneca.

The answers of the company have not been satisfactory so far." She also said that in future manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccines will have to register planned exports outside the bloc, and an EU official told Reuters that a transparency register would be implemented in the coming days.

"We want clarity on transactions and full transparency concerning the export of vaccines from the EU.

In the future, all companies producing vaccines against COVID-19 in the EU will have to provide early notification whenever they want to export vaccines to third countries.

Humanitarian deliveries are, of course, not affected by this.

The European Union will take any action required to protect its citizens and rights.” The EU’s reaction comes after AstraZeneca announced last week it would fail to meet its first quarter supply targets to mainland Europe.