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The European Union has exported more doses of vaccines than have been administered to citizens within the bloc, according to new figures, with most of it going to the UK.
The block has received 88 million doses, of which 62 million have been distributed so far, new figures published by the European Commission (EC) showed, while it has exported 77 million doses worldwide, including to South America. North and South, Africa. , Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
However, the bulk of 21 million doses went to prop up the UK’s vaccination campaign, according to an EU official, a figure that would make up the bulk of the roughly 30 million doses distributed so far in Britain. .
The figures were released as the bloc prepares to tighten vaccine export controls to allow member states or the EC to reject export permits for shipments going to countries with a higher vaccination rate than the EU. or they are not exporting to the block in turn.
“The EU must ensure that Europeans receive a fair share of vaccines,” said commission chair Ursula von der Leyen.
While the doses have been exported from the EU to the US and UK, leaders have accused both London and Washington of imposing de facto bans on vaccine exports in the other direction.
Proposals to tighten EU export controls are controversial, with Ireland among a group of member states expressing concern that it could risk retaliation by other countries and jeopardize complex international supply chains.
However, advocates argue that the threat of restrictions should be enough to get results, particularly at pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, which is pushing the company to deliver orders after it was drastically delayed.
Production
EU vaccine talks are ongoing with London, expected to be held weekly with Washington as the world competes for a limited but growing production of Covid-19 vaccines.
Overall, even taking into account the drastic deficit of AstraZeneca, the EU should receive enough vaccines to fully inoculate some 255 million people by the end of June or 70 percent of the bloc’s adult population, with the doses distributed proportionally between member states.
In Ireland, where the population is younger than the European average, the quota goes further to cover approximately 78 percent of adults at the time.
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