EU and Italy Block Export of AstraZeneca Covid-19 Vaccine Doses--update
04 März 2021 - 6:16PM
Dow Jones News
By Giovanni Legorano
ROME -- Italy blocked the export of AstraZeneca PLC's Covid-19
vaccines to Australia, according to people familiar with the
matter, in a move coordinated with European Union authorities,
reflecting mounting frustration in Europe with slow deliveries of
vaccines.
The move was prompted by the unsatisfactory compliance by the
drug supplier with supply contracts, one of the people said.
Due to the current shortage of vaccine doses in the EU, it made
sense to keep the shots in Italy, the person said. The 250,000
affected doses were bottled at a factory near Rome that is part of
AstraZeneca's supply chain.
Representatives for AstraZeneca declined to comment.
The move is the first known use of a new EU policy that allows
controls to be imposed on the export of Covid-19 vaccines.
In accordance with the EU policy, AstraZeneca had asked the
Italian government for permission to export the doses. Rome refused
and the European Commission supported the Italian government's
decision, the people familiar with the matter said.
--Jenny Strasburg and Laurence Norman contributed to this
article.
Write to Giovanni Legorano at giovanni.legorano@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 04, 2021 12:01 ET (17:01 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2021 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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