CANBERRA (Reuters) – Australia has asked the European Commission to review Italy’s decision to block the shipment of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, although it emphasized on Friday that missing doses would not affect the launch of Australia’s vaccination program. .
Italy, supported by the European Commission, has barred the planned export of about 250,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine after the manufacturer of the drug has failed to fulfill its contractual commitments to the European Union.
“Australia raised the issue with the European Commission through several channels and, in particular, we 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 the increase in local vaccine production.
Australia started its inoculation program two weeks ago, vaccinating the frontline and elderly health staff with Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, although doses of this vaccine are limited amid tight global supplies.
AstraZeneca did not immediately respond to a request for comment. AstraZeneca did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
While seeking intervention by the European Commission, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he could understand the reasons for Italy’s objection.
“In Italy, people die at the rate of 300 per day. And therefore, I can certainly understand the high level of anxiety that would exist in Italy and in many countries in Europe, ”Morrison told reporters in Sydney.
Italy’s decision came just days after Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who took office last month, told other EU leaders that the bloc needed to speed up vaccinations and crack down on pharmaceutical companies that failed to deliver on promised supplies.
EU countries started vaccinating in late December, but are moving at a much slower pace than many other countries, with officials blaming slow progress in part for supply problems with major manufacturers.
Australian authorities administered the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine to a doctor on Friday.
Australia ordered 53.8 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which was developed in conjunction with the University of Oxford. Local pharmaceutical company CSL Ltd has secured the rights to manufacture 50 million of these doses in Australia and expects to launch the first batch in late March.
The doses produced locally will provide the backbone of Australia’s vaccination program, which authorities hope to complete by October.
Australia is under less pressure than many other countries, having registered just under 29,000 cases of COVID-19 and 909 deaths. The lower counts of infections and deaths were helped by rigid blocks, rapid tracking systems and border closures.
Colin Packham reporting; Editing by Jane Wardell and Kenneth Maxwell