CANBERRA (AUSTRALIA) – As per the recommendations from the Australian government, the European Commission will review Italy’s decision to block a shipment of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine. however, it is expected that the missing doses would not affect the rollout of Australia’s inoculation programme.
Italy, supported by the European Commission, barred the planned export of around 250,000 doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine after the drug manufacturer failed to meet its European Union contract commitments.
Commenting about the same Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt said, “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,” he further added that Australia had already received 300,000 doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, which would last until local production of the vaccine ramps up.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that even though the country has sought European Commission’s intervention, he could understand the reasons for Italy’s objection. He said, “In Italy people are dying at the rate of 300 a day. And so I can certainly understand the high level of anxiety that would exist in Italy and in many countries across Europe.”