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The AstraZeneca vaccine is also in short supply
© APA (Reuters)
Australia has harshly criticized the suspension of delivery of the European Union’s corona vaccine. “Of course we are disappointed and frustrated with this decision, but that is also why we have double coverage,” Treasury Secretary Simon Birmingham told Sky News on Friday. “We have ordered up to 150 million doses of vaccine, including 50 million doses that will be produced here in Australia,” he said.
The world is currently in a fairly unexplored area, so it is not surprising that “some countries are going to break the rules.” According to EU circles, Italy had prevented the delivery of 250,000 doses of vaccine from the British-Swedish manufacturer Astrazeneca to Australia and thus stopped for the first time the export of the corona vaccine from the European Union to a third country. At the end of January, the European Union began export controls for corona vaccines. The focus is on manufacturers that do not meet their EU delivery obligations. It is now Astrazeneca.
The basis is an export control system introduced in late January due to vaccine shortages. Consequently, pharmaceutical companies with delivery obligations in the EU must apply for export permits for vaccines produced in the EU. If manufacturers illegally harm the EU in terms of delivery quantities, approvals can be denied. Astrazeneca falls short of the originally promised EU delivery volume in the first quarter, which has sparked a lot of resentment.
The EU member state in which the vaccines destined for export were produced is responsible for export permits. Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio wrote on Facebook: “Australia is now seen as a ‘not at risk’ country under EU rules.” The lock “is not a hostile act towards Australia.”
Australia has recorded around 29,000 coronavirus cases since the pandemic began, a significantly lower per capita rate than most developed countries. The death toll is currently 909. About 25 million people live in the country.
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