Coronavirus: Australia asks European Commission to review Italy’s block on AstraZeneca vaccine

Name: First Covax delivery completed as Ghana receives 600,000 doses of vaccine under WHO-led scheme
Uploaded: 2021-03-04T17:21:11.000Z
Duration: 1 min 27 s
Description: First Covax delivery completed as Ghana receives 600,000 doses of vaccine under WHO-led scheme

Australia stressed the order halting a shipment of 250,000 doses would not affect the roll-out of its inoculation programme

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A health worker prepares a dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine to be administered at a vaccination centre set up in Fiumicino, near Rome’s international airport, in February. Photo: AP

Agencies

Published: 1:21am, 5 Mar 2021Updated: 5:11pm, 5 Mar 2021

Australia has asked the European Commission to review a decision by Italy to block a shipment of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine, while stressing on Friday the missing doses would not affect the roll-out of Canberra’s inoculation programme.

Italy, supported by the European Commission, blocked the planned export of around 250,000 doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine after the drug manufacturer failed to meet its European Union contract commitments.

“Australia has raised the issue with the European Commission through multiple channels, and in particular we have asked the European Commission to review this decision,” Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt told reporters in Melbourne.

Hunt said Australia had already received 300,000 doses of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine, which would last until local production of the vaccine ramps up.

Australia began its inoculation programme two weeks ago, vaccinating frontline health staff and senior citizens with Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine though doses of that shot are limited amid tight global supplies.

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First Covax delivery completed as Ghana receives 600,000 doses of vaccine under WHO-led scheme

AstraZeneca did not immediately reply to a request for comment.