US pharmaceutical company Pfizer has confirmed that it will temporarily reduce deliveries to Europe of its COVID-19 vaccine while increasing production capacity to 2 billion doses of vaccine per year
COPENHAGEN, Denmark – US drugmaker Pfizer confirmed on Friday that it will temporarily reduce deliveries to Europe of its COVID-19 vaccine, while increasing production capacity to 2 billion doses a year.
The head of the European Commission said he immediately called the CEO of Pfizer. But in an indication that the problem could go beyond Europe, the Canadian government said it was also affected.
Line Fedders, a spokesman for Pfizer Denmark, said that in order to meet the new 2 billion dose target, Pfizer is increasing production at its plant in Puurs, Belgium, which “presupposes the adaptation of the facilities and processes at the plant , which requires new quality tests and approvals from the authorities. “
“As a result, fewer doses will be available to European countries in late January and early February,” she said.
“This temporary reduction will affect all European countries,” she said in a statement to the Associated Press.
Germany’s Health Ministry said on Friday that Pfizer informed the European Commission, which was responsible for ordering vaccines from the company, that it would not be able to deliver on all promised deliveries in the next three to four weeks.
The ministry said that German authorities took note of the Commission’s unexpected announcement “with regret” because the company had made binding delivery commitments in mid-February.
“The federal and state governments expect the EU Commission to provide clarity and certainty as soon as possible in negotiations with Pfizer on future deliveries and delivery dates,” said the statement.
The Commission has sealed vaccine agreements on behalf of all 27 member states, but is not responsible for the timing and deliveries.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she “immediately called the CEO of Pfizer”.
“He assured me that all guaranteed doses for the first quarter will be delivered in the first quarter. He is personally in charge of reducing the delay period and ensuring that they get it back as quickly as possible, ”said von der Leyen.
On Friday, Commission health policy spokesman Stefan de Keersmaecker said deliveries were made based on purchase orders and specific contracts concluded between member states and companies.
“The specifics of these arrangements are set out in these purchase orders or contracts,” he said.
The Commission has secured up to 600 million extra doses of the Pfizer vaccine that is produced in partnership with BioNTech in Germany.
Pfizer’s Belgian factory supplies all doses delivered outside the United States, including Canada, where purchasing minister Anita Anand said on Friday that the American pharmaceutical company is temporarily reducing deliveries because of problems with its European production lines. . Although the company says it still manages to deliver four million doses by the end of March, that is no longer guaranteed, she said.
Canadian officials said the reduction means that vaccine shipments from Canada will be cut in half next month.
The country has received only 380,000 doses of the vaccine so far and is expected to receive another 400,000 this month, and expects nearly two million doses in February.
Norwegian authorities also said on Friday that they were notified by Pfizer of the reduction that will begin next week, when the company raises its annual dosage target of the current 1.3 billion.
“We had predicted 43,875 doses of Pfizer vaccine in week 3. Now it looks like we have 36,075 doses,” said Geir Bukholm, director of infection control at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.
“The stock we have now will be able to offset a reduction in planned deliveries for a few weeks earlier, if necessary,” he said.
In Finland, broadcaster YLE said the delay would cause domestic delivery problems in late January and early February.
Danish authorities have expressed concern.
Henrik Ullum, head of the Statens Serum Institut, a government agency that maps the spread of the coronavirus in Denmark, said that he hoped the development would mean that “in the near future we may vaccinate less than initially anticipated”.
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Samuel Petrequin and Raf Casert in Brussels, Frank Jordans in Berlin and Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed.