London: Italy has vowed to reject more vaccine exports and France has threatened to join the blockade, as European officials scramble to justify the decision to ban a shipment of 250,000 doses to Australia.
Trade Minister Dan Tehan discussed the standoff with his Brussels counterpart Valdis Dombrovskis on Friday night but the European Commission has no plans to step back from its dispute with the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca.
In demand: Vials of the AstraZeneca vaccine.Credit:AP
The decision was the first time special powers have been used to stop coronavirus vaccines manufactured in Europe from being sent abroad. The shipment was banned because the drug giant has not provided the bloc with as many vials as expected.
But supply is just one problem with Europe’s sluggish rollout; logistics stumbles and hesitancy caused by confused political messaging are also contributing.
Figures from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control show the European Union’s 27 member countries have been given 8.68 million doses of the AstraZeneca jab but administered just 3.15 million, or 36 per cent.
France has used just 24 per cent of its available stock and Italy only 21 per cent – some of the lowest rates in the EU.
German Health Minister Jens Spahn criticised the Australia ban on Friday, as did British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
“With a measure like that, in the short term there’s a win, but we have to be careful that it doesn’t cause us problems in the medium term by disrupting the supply chains for vaccines and everything that’s needed in terms of precursors,” Spahn said.
A spokesman for Johnson said the British Prime Minister believed the global recovery from the pandemic relied on international collaboration, not conflict.
“We are all dependent on global supply chains and putting in place restrictions endangers global efforts to fight the virus,” he said.
The Morrison government has claimed the export ban will not affect its vaccine rollout but is still working behind the scenes to have the 250,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine delivered.
Health Minister Greg Hunt told reporters that the government had asked the European Commission to review the decision but officials in Brussels on Friday could not confirm whether the request had been received or if would be considered.
The export controls – which have been widely criticised as a dangerous example of “vaccine nationalism” – were hurriedly drawn up in January after AstraZeneca and Pfizer warned supply to Europe over coming months would be slashed because of production delays.
European Commission chief spokesman Eric Mamer said Europe was not engaged in vaccine nationalism because the bloc had approved hundreds of exports to dozens of countries.
“Let’s not try to shift the situation here. The fact is the European Union is a major exporter of vaccine doses,” he said.
Some reports in Italian media on Friday suggested AstraZeneca may have originally wanted to ship about 500,000 doses to Australia but was worried the volume was so big that it might be rejected by Italy. The reports said the company then cut the volume to 250,700 doses but that was still rejected.
AstraZeneca has been contacted for comment.
Italy first opposed the shipment last week and the European Commission supported Rome’s position earlier this week. AstraZeneca and the Australian government were notified on Wednesday.
Italy, where new Prime Minister Mario Draghi is under political pressure to speed up the country’s rollout, said it decided to deny the vaccine shipment because Australia was not vulnerable to COVID-19 and AstraZeneca was not supplying enough doses to Europe.
Italy has so far received 1.5 million doses of the AstraZeenca jab but handed out just 322,000 doses.
Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio on Friday threatened to keep rejecting export applications unless AstraZeneca met its contracts with Europe.
“As long as these delays remain, it is right for the countries of the European Union to block exports toward nations that are ‘not vulnerable’ as a response to the failure of companies to respect commitments,” he said.
French Health Minister Olivier Véran said his government could follow Italy’s approach: “I understand [the Italian position]. We could do the same thing,” Véran told BFM TV.
France has been given 1.1 million AstraZeneca doses but administered only 275,000.
Almost 4 million doses of AstraZeneca will arrive in Australia from overseas, primarily Europe, but 50 million will be manufactured by CSL in Melbourne.
Bevan Shields is the Europe correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
Most Viewed in World
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMigQFodHRwczovL3d3dy5zbWguY29tLmF1L3dvcmxkL2V1cm9wZS9pdGFseS1hbmQtZnJhbmNlLXRocmVhdGVuLW1vcmUtdmFjY2luZS1iYW5zLWZvbGxvd2luZy1hdXN0cmFsaWEtYmxvY2thZGUtMjAyMTAzMDYtcDU3OGMyLmh0bWzSAYEBaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAuc21oLmNvbS5hdS93b3JsZC9ldXJvcGUvaXRhbHktYW5kLWZyYW5jZS10aHJlYXRlbi1tb3JlLXZhY2NpbmUtYmFucy1mb2xsb3dpbmctYXVzdHJhbGlhLWJsb2NrYWRlLTIwMjEwMzA2LXA1NzhjMi5odG1s?oc=5
2021-03-05 19:41:56Z
52781419653061
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Italy and France threaten more vaccine bans following Australia blockade - The Sydney Morning Herald"
Post a Comment